An unfolding crisis in Mburubu, Nkanu East Local Government Area of Enugu State, has sparked fears of a repeat of the recent violent clashes in Umuchigbo-Nike, which left two brothers dead and several properties destroyed.
In the early hours of Saturday, the quiet community was thrown into chaos after operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) attached to Mr. Jerry Patrick Onuokaibe, a disputed Igwe-elect, allegedly opened fire on protesting youths of the community during preparations for a banned New Yam Festival. Several people reportedly sustained injuries while they scampered for safety with one person reportedly had gunshot wounds as residents fled their homes amid sporadic gunfire that disrupted the dawn calm.
According to eyewitness accounts, the protest broke out while Onuokaibe and his aides were making early preparations for the New Yam Festival—an event multiple court orders had explicitly barred him from organizing or sponsoring. Despite a subsisting judgment prohibiting him from parading himself as Igwe-elect of Mburubu, and a subsequent injunction restraining him from hosting the festival, sources say Onuokaibe insisted on proceeding, defying both the courts and state authorities. Fearing unrest, Enugu State Commissioner of Police, CP Mamman Bitrus Giwa, psc, had earlier ordered the suspension of the festival, citing intelligence reports indicating a potential threat to public safety.
Residents told newsmen that the shooting occurred before the festival even began, as DSS operatives guarding Onuokaibe allegedly opened fire on residents and passers-by near the venue. “It was still dark; people were just going to their farms and shops when the shooting started,” said a witness who identified himself as Chibuike. “a youth was hit by bullets. Everyone was running for safety.”
Another community source claimed that an enraged Onuokaibe, frustrated by repeated legal and police restrictions, ordered his DSS guards to ‘shoot on sight’ anyone who came close. Reports suggest that armed thugs and unidentified persons later joined the DSS operatives, attacking residents and vandalizing property.
The gunfire has ignited outrage across Mburubu, where youths are reportedly protesting the shootings and demanding justice for the wounded.
The Commissioner of Police is expected to direct the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) to launch a discreet investigation into the incident.
“No one is above the law. Anyone found culpable—no matter their position—will face the full weight of justice,” Observers and civil society groups said, warning that if not swiftly contained, the Mburubu crisis could degenerate into another round of communal violence, reminiscent of the deadly Umuchigbo-Nike clashes.
As of press time, both the Department of State Services (DSS) and the Enugu State Police Command have yet to issue official statements regarding the shootings.
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