By CHARLES IWUOHA

The stakeholders and people of Izhi clan in Ebonyi State have held a funeral mass service for the nine of their kinsmen killed by suspected Ezza Effium warriors in their respective native compounds in recent times.

The nine dead victims reportedly caused by the tragic Effium and Ezza Effium war included four members of one family ? Mr Moses Nwodom Ekpiri, his wife, Mrs Nwodom Ekpiri, his pregnant daughter, Miss Mercy Nwodom Ekpiri, and her unborn baby. They were natives of Ohagelode village in Mbeke Ishieke community in Ebonyi Local Government Area of the state.

Other deceased victims who were the indigenes of Nkaleke Mbeke Ishieke included Chikwado Unachi, Obinna Joseph and Iziogo Igboke. Esther Nwogha Nwodo and Ifeoma Ibina, also killed by the Effuimites were natives of Okpuduma Mbeke Ishieke community.

Speaking during the mass service held at Saint Michael's Parish, Catholic Church in Isophumini Mbeke Ishieke, the Ebonyi State Governor, Francis Nwifuru, expressed sadness over the unfortunate incident and described it as a satanic agenda to destroy the state.

The governor, represented by his Principal Secretary, Matthias Adum, however, consoled the Izhi people, especially the bereaved families, with an undisclosed cash donation to the deceased victims' relatives for their burial ceremony.

Nwifuru also donated an undisclosed amount of money to the Izhi people whose houses and other properties were destroyed by rampaging Effium warriors and advised them to continue toeing lines of peace despite their hard experiences as a result of the attack.

He assured that his administration would continue to invest richly in taking care of the welfare of affected families by the attack and emphasized the need of Ebonyi residents to prioritize peaceful co-existence in every part of the state.

Nwifuru charged the people to be on the alert with the issues related to the security of lives and properties in their respective homes and communities, believing that his administration agenda anchored on the People's Charter of Needs, would bring a laudable windfall to the state at the end of his tenure.

He said: ?This death was a very tragic one; it was caused by war. It is indeed a temptation, but I wish to send my unreserved condolences to the bereaved families who are here.

"I'm urging you to take heart because no matter how death occurs, it's always considered a natural phenomenon; it can come in any form, and the certainty is that everybody must die one day. Those killed were many but the most painful one was the killing of the pregnant woman and her unborn baby.

"My condolences are for the entire families, Mbeke community, Ebonyi Local Government Area and the entire Izhi clan. Our duty is to pray and support the affected families, especially their children, to take care of their welfare, because we are aware that 9 people were killed and some people's houses were burnt down.

"We got this shocking message. However, we took the bold steps to uphold peace, and that's why we came today to give the dead victims a befitting burial because war is a bad thing and no sound mind would pray to experience it."

Lending his voice, the Chairman of Ebonyi Local Government Area, Prince Chinedu Uburu, described the incident as a heavy attack on humanity, saying the victims were mercilessly killed for no just cause by their attackers.

He commended Governor Nwifuru for taking a bold step to restore peace in the Effuim community, advising both Effium and Ezza Effium people to embrace peace, ?knowing full well they are brothers and sisters, and there is no gain in the destruction of people's lives and properties, which escalated to the killing of their innocent neighbours.?

"I urge Effium and Ezza Effium people to embrace peace because there's nothing like peace. It was out of their recklessness during the war that brought about the killing of Izhi people, precisely those from Ohagelode, Okpuduma and Nkaleke in Mbeke Ishieke Autonomous Community in Ebonyi local government area.

"I'm advising the two communities to embrace peace because we used to hear this as a history, but today, we are experiencing this unfortunate incident, but no one can question God because He knows why it happened. I, therefore, extend my condolences to the bereaved families to continue to solace in God," Uburu said.

The Coordinator of Effium Development Centre, Nwogbaga Ogbonna, also commended Governor Nwifuru for donating money for the burial of the death victims of the war and urged both Effium and Ezza Effium people to embrace peace, stressing that "there is no gain in crisis." He equally condoled the affected families by the war and urged them to continue to toeing lines of peace.