Irete Youths Clashes With Ezi-Irete On Youths Election Day, Tenant Receives Gun Shot, Rushed To Hospital

Communal crisis erupted last Saturday, June 20th 2020,following the supposed  continues controversies on the true position of the Autonomous status of Ezi-Irete Autonomous Community in Owerri West LGA of Imo State by their mother-community, Irete Autonomous Community over independent government.

 

Some youths from Irete Area numbering over 50 persons stormed the youths of Ezi-Irete during their youth election and caused fracas, disrupted the election exercise.

 

The venue for the polls was at the playground of St.Peter’s Anglican Church Ezi-Irete (TTC Practising (Primary) School Ezi-Irete).

 

Crisis eschewed according  some eye witness accounts who attested to the press that some youths from Irete Community who were well-armed stormed the election center and began sporadic shooting of gun shots because  they (Irete People) allegedly does not believe on the authenticity of Ezi-Irete Autonomous status from the Imo State Govt.

 

The aggrieved Irete youths barricaded the election ground armed with guns and some other dangerous weapons and shot one young Christian Mahakwe, a tenant residing at Free Zone Area of Umuelele village in Ezi-Irete, who was immediately rushed the hospital for urgent medical attention.

 

It was gathered that the un-repented Irete Youths who were armed gathered momentum from the Irete Tradition Ruler,Eze Ethelbert Ekweleibe, who acknowledged that he gave them permission and mandated them to go and stop the Ezi-Irete Youths Election.

 

Information also has it that one Ifeanyi Unakalamba,was the trigger happy youth from Irete shot Christian Mahakwe at the chest.

 

About five youths from Irete Community were seen clearly displaying their guns before they flea away from Ezi-Irete after their hits at the election ground.

 

Some of the persons (youths) from Irete and Ezi-Irete (both communities) who were accused of sabotaging the efforts of Ezi-Irete youths development as instigators of the crisis includes: the Youth President of Irete Community, Comr.Chibuzo Akuebionwu, aka Buzo, the youth Vice President, Chigozie Okenwa, from Umugada (Ezi-Irete), Gideon Olua, from Umuoba Ezi-Irete, and Nmeso Vincent, from Umuekwune Irete (who bared his father’s security gun to the election ground) and one Onyekachi Oluoha.

 

Other instigators of the crisis are: Mr.Jonathan Oparaugo, aka Ahijoe, from Umunwanlo Ezi-Irete and amongst others.

 

Yet in a related development, the victim,  Christian Mahakwe, who was shot is alive receiving some medical treatment in an undisclosed hospital in Imo State.

 

Recalled that the Traditional Ruler of Ezi-Irete Autonomous Community in Owerri West LGA, Imo State, Eze Joseph Uzoma Ibeh, in his words condemned that attack on his subjects (Ezi-Irete Youths) by the youths from Irete Autonomous Community on the election exercise, which he accused the Traditional Ruler of Irete, Eze Ethelbert Ekweleibe, of encroachment and bridge of peace but called on the govt.to caution against such actions.