National Telescope national telescope newspaper
The Umuihe autonomous community in Akaeze, Ebonyi State, is reeling from shock after the tragic killing of their traditional leader, HRH Umazi Ibo Ubani, in an attack believed to have been carried out by gunmen.
The Police Public Relations Officer, Ebonyi State Command, DSP Joshua Ukandu, has confirmed the incident, noting that investigations are underway and a search for the attackers has been launched.
“Immediately we got a distress call on the incident; we swung into action, and the assailants had already left the scene by the time our men moved to the scene, but we were trailing the assailants.”
It was gathered that the community was rattled by intense gunfire as gunmen invaded, causing widespread panic among residents who were seen fleeing for safety on Friday.
The coordinator of Akaeze Development Centre, Chinasa Okorie, also verified the incident on Sunday evening, confirming that it took place around 10 p.m. on Friday.
He expressed strong disapproval of the monarch’s killing, describing him as a courageous and astute leader in his sixties.
He emphasized the irreplaceable nature of his qualities, lamenting the loss of his valuable expertise in the community, local government, and the entire state.
“Around 10 p.m. last Friday, I received a call that there was a shooting in the house of our traditional ruler, and that after the shooting, it was discovered that our traditional ruler had been killed, and that is the traditional ruler of Umuihe Autonomous Community, Akaeze, HRH Eze Umazi Ibo Ubani.
“This is a great loss to the community and Akaeze at large because he is a man of integrity, a man that would be difficult to replace because the man is intelligent, he is bold, and he is fearless.
“The man does not know corruption because, at all times, his integrity is always seen. I am very sad about his killing. It is a great loss to Akaeze Development Centre, where I am the leader, Ivo Local Government, and Ebonyi State.
“His voice is loud in Ebonyi State. He is a first-class traditional ruler. The killing is a very bad incident,” he stated.
Okorie stated that only security agencies possess the capability to determine both the underlying and immediate causes of the incident as well as identify those responsible.
