An unidentified man has died, several others injured, and properties destroyed as landlords clash during an association election.
News About Nigeria gathered that aggrieved youths had become violent, destroying everything in sight at Iyiowa-Odekpe Community, in Ogbaru Local Government Area of Anambra State, protesting the outcome of the Iyiowa-Odekpe landlords’ association elections held last Monday.
As of the time of the report, about 30 vehicles, 20 buildings, and other properties estimated at over N100 million had been reduced to shambles.
It was gathered that the destruction was carried out by the youths, purportedly working for those identified as indigenes of the area.
Trouble began when non-indigenes of the landlords association in the area conducted an election that produced the Sunday Obinze-led new executive committee, countering last Sunday’s election of indigenes.
The indigenous members, filled with raging anger at the audacity of the non-indigenes to create a factional landlords association, sent the youths after the non-indigenes.
It was noted that the indigenes in a bid to hold on to the leadership of the community, sponsored a candidate of their choice and conducted election last Sunday, ahead of the election of the landlords association that was scheduled to hold on Monday.
As the non-indigenous landlords’ association members were conducting the election on Monday at Creative Model School, the Odekpe youths stormed the scene, sent the people away, and destroyed everything on sight including chairs, tables, electoral materials, vehicles, and buildings, among others.
Speaking on the situation, the President-elect of the association, Obinze, stated that some youths from Ogbaru, had stormed his house, set his car ablaze, destroyed the windows and doors of his house and made a way with N3.8 million cash meant for workers.
According to him, the hoodlums also destroyed a big soap factory owned by the Vice-President-elect, Uchenna Ike.
He said the youths must be held accountable and that they must pay for the damages the attack cost him and others, lamenting that one person was dead, over 15 others injured and properties worth over N30 million destroyed.
The State Police Public Relations Officer, Ikenga Tochukwu, while confirming the incident, assured the people that the Police was actively pursuing the matter, noting that the injured were receiving medical attention in a nearby hospital.
