No fewer than four buildings have been destroyed, while scores of families have deserted their home following crisis in Nteje, Oyi Local Government Area of Anambra.
This followed communal crisis raging in the community in the past few weeks.
Some Community leaders from Nteje made the disclosure during a news briefing on the crisis rocking the community on Friday in Awka.
The community however absolved a prominent Indigene of the community Chief Mike Nwakalor of any blame in the crisis, and urged the public to disregard reports linking him to problems in the area.
Chief Obiajulu Nwoye, former Laison Officer to former Governor Willie Obiano of Anambra on Oyi Local Government Area said that the current problem in Nteje Community was purely Internal leadership matter and not land.
“There were motorcycles distributed to some youths leaders in the community for errands, which they were forcefully asked to return.
“It was this situation that degenerated to the destructions of buildings and sundry arrest of some individuals fingered for explanation by the security men”, he said.
Nwoye said, it was rather unfortunate that some natives decided to mention Chief Nwakalor who at the time was residing in his Abuja residence.
He said that there was the need to set the records straight, by letting the public to know the true situation in Nteje.
Mr Godwin Igbokwu, secretary, Odokwe Development Union said, he was one of the signatories who petitioned the Department of State Service (DSS) and Divisional Police, Otuocha, Anambra East Local Government Area on the matter.
“I was among the victims who were rough handed by the gang who went about threatening innocent people in Nteje in the recent months”, he said.
Igbokwu said, my problem was that I saw where some boys were struggling motorcycle with one of the beneficiaries
and I appealed to them to stop.
“As soon as these boys saw me, they pounced on me dispossess me of my GSM phone and gave me merciless beating”, he said.
Igbokwu added that after that the boys who claimed they were acting on the instructions of the President General went further to destroy the houses of some people.
“The people whose houses were touched were; Peter Nchekwube, Obiora Aka, Okechukwu Aghadi, and one Nnoso”, he said.
Igbokwu said since the problem started that some people ran away from the community due to fear of possible attack.
Igbokwu who corroborated the account by Nwoye that leadership friction was at the centre of the problem, equally condemned what he tagged name dropping of Nwakalor.
“The people of Nteje viewed the mentioning of Nwakalor, a philanthropist from the community on this crisis in the area as unfortunate and bad”, he said., .
