By CHARLES IWUOHA

Many residents are feared dead while several others have been abducted following a deadly attack on Okporojo Community in Oso Edda, Edda Local Government Area of Ebonyi State.

News Express gathered that the attack occurred on Thursday afternoon, January 29, 2026, at about 4:00 p.m., when unidentified armed men stormed the community, shooting sporadically and setting houses ablaze.

Eyewitnesses said the assailants ambushed the community without warning, throwing residents into panic as many fled into nearby bushes to escape the violence.

Several houses were completely razed during the attack, while villagers were allegedly killed or taken away by the attackers.

Community sources claimed that at least four persons were beheaded during the assault, with the attackers reportedly taking away the severed heads.

Many other residents were said to have sustained varying degrees of injuries, while an unspecified number remain missing.

A viral video circulating on social media showed houses engulfed in flames as distressed residents cried out for help, appealing to the Ebonyi State Government and security agencies to urgently intervene.

Local sources linked the attack to a decades-long land dispute between Oso Edda in Edda Local Government Area and Amasiri in Afikpo Local Government Area of the state.

Both communities have laid claim to a disputed boundary land, a disagreement that has over the years resulted in intermittent violence, loss of lives, and destruction of property worth billions of naira.

Confirming the incident on Friday afternoon, the State Commissioner for Internal Security, Chief Etta Ude, said security had been reinforced in the affected area to prevent further escalation.

“It is a fact. By 5 p.m. on Thursday, I was informed that some hoodlums invaded one of the villages in Oso Edda and massacred about four persons.

“I immediately intervened and contacted the two council chairmen. I also called the Army battalion, the police, and other security agencies, and they all moved into the area. As of now, everywhere is calm," Ude said.

The commissioner called for massive arrests to bring the perpetrators to justice and warned those involved to desist from further violence.

“What we have resolved with the Commissioner of Police is that there must be massive arrests so that we can get to the root cause of this problem.

"Anyone found involved will be brought to book and made to face the law,” he said.

As of the time of filing this report, the Ebonyi State Police Command had yet to issue an official statement on the incident.

Residents, however, continued to call for sustained deployment of security personnel to the area to prevent further attacks and restore lasting peace.

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