There is tension at Ette, a border town in Igboeze North Local Government Area of Enugu State, following the invasion of the area by suspected members of the Police Mobile Force, MOPOL, from Lokoja, the Kogi State capital.

The invaders reportedly shot six people, five men and a woman as well as burnt shops, vehicles before they were overpowered by their colleagues from Enugu State. Sources told the South East Voice that some of the police invaders abandoned their AK47 riffles and uniforms when they were confronted by their colleagues from Enugu State.

Those who were shot by the invaders included Sunday Idoko, a teacher, who was shot in his classroom at the Community Secondary School, Etteh; Gilbert Onu, Damian Ijiga, Mrs. Blessing Ali, Augustine Osewe and Agada Amuta.

Mrs. Ali was shot on her laps while Amuta was allegedly shot severally and was said to be receiving treatment at the nearby St. Mary’s Hospital, Enugu- Ezike with the others.
Among the MOPOL officers whose uniforms were recovered by the Police Area Command Office in Nsukka included those of Corporal Enemona Itodo with Force number 433524; Usman Sani (number 414615) and Amos Abutu (number 356905) The Chairman of Etteh Youths Association, EYA, Mr. Hycinth Agada confirmed the attack and expressed worry that some policemen would leave their duty posts in Lokoja to carry out illegal duties of burning the property of those they were paid to protect in Enugu State.

 
Agada said that, “the Area Commander had come to Etteh to address our people on the shooting of Sunday Idoko in the classroom when the policemen came back in a Toyota Hilux vehicle and started firing guns towards our direction. Earlier, they had shot Gilbert Onu on his right hand, while Damian Ijiga was shot on the head at a beer palour at Ette Market Square at about 7.30p.m. on Tuesday.

 
“We want the Inspector General of Police, IGP, to investigate this matter and find out who sent the policemen from Lokoja to attack us in our homes in Enugu State.” However, armed policemen were patrolling the area at the time of this report. Etteh community has not known peace in the last five years following agitation by some youths that the area be merged with Kogi State.

 
The member representing Igboeze North 11 Constituency in the Enugu State House of Assembly is Tony Ogidi from Etteh. The area which has three major tribes including Igbo, Igala and Idoma was said to have been merged with the defunct Eastern Nigeria from the Northern Nigeria in 1954 after a plebiscite conducted by the colonialists. But, while some Igala youths from Ette had been agitating to be merged with Kogi State, majority of the Igbo and Idoma residents had opposed the move resulting in closure of schools, courts, churches and other government offices in the last five years until two months ago when peace was brokered and some schools re-opened.

 
The last population census and INEC registration of voters did not take place in Etteh following the alleged violent activities of the Kogi agitators which started after a Supreme Court judgement which threw out their suit on the issue.

Credit : Vanguard