The Traditional Council/Cabinet and people of Okon-Aku Ohafia Autonomous Community of Abia State have jointly warned those they described as “peddlers of falsehood” to steer clear of such path following a communal clash in the area which claimed one life, involved arson and led to loss of properties.
The incident occurred on 2nd and 3rd January this year.
The community leaders and residents,in a press statement, noted that already the State government and relevant security agencies were investigating the clash and implored meddlesome persons to await the official position on the matter.
In the statement titled ‘The Traditional Council/Cabinet and the Development Union of Okon-Aku Ohafia Autonomous Community Warn Against Misleading Lies, False Narratives And Outright Defamation’, the community leaders accused a certain individual, identified as Promise Uzoma Okoro, whom they claimed does not hail from their community, of propagating on social media a narrative different to facts on ground.
The statement was signed by Chief U. E. Udensi, for the Traditional Rulers Council & Nnaka IV Cabinet, and Comrade Okorie Kama, for Okon-Aku Development Union president.
In it, the community insisted that the law must be allowed to run its due course with the government and security agencies in full control of the situation, saying the resort by outsiders to allegedly try to twist facts or engage in outright falsehood amounts to defamation of persons within their bereaved community.
The statement read, in part: “Between the 2nd and 3rd of January 2026, Okon-Aku experienced a deeply tragic crisis and unprovoked attacks that shook the very fabric of our community.
“The crisis and dastardly attacks left in their trail acts of arson, life-threatening injuries, displacement of persons, and most heartbreakingly, the loss of a promising youth, Akuma Akwu Igwe.
“These resultant losses are profound to the families of victims and the entire community, therefore requiring serious and detailed attention from all responsible authorities to unravel and resolve the very intricate and tense situation in the community.
“In response to these grave incidents, the Abia State Government acted swiftly by setting up an administrative panel of inquiry tasked with uncovering the root causes of the crisis, to ensure that justice is served and peace returns to the community.
“This matter has also been duly reported to the Nigerian Police and other relevant security agencies, resulting in several arrests as part of ongoing investigations.
“During this period, the people of Okon-Aku have remained remarkably restrained from media engagements. This decision is guided by a firm commitment to allowing the administrative enquiry and other investigating processes to take their natural courses without interference or sensationalism.”
However, they expressed regret that some outsiders “have chosen to persistently trivialize the crisis, disseminating repeated falsehoods and misleading narratives under the guise of ‘seeking justice for Akuma’.”
Throwing light on what they described as “several critical points” pertaining to the issue, the community leaders stressed that the occurrence “must not be handled like a political game within and outside the media spaces. It is a serious existential crisis, deeply and dangerously consequential to our ethnography.”
Furthermore, they stated that purported strangers “who are not members of Okon-Aku Autonomous Community or Ohafia and who may be crying more than we, the bereaved, need to do better by conducting deeper and serious fact-based investigations of the matters in Okon, then help the investigating teams with any facts and not spew fabrications on social media daily.”
The leaders requested interested outsiders to visit Okon-Aku Autonomous Community’s five villages and 26 compounds and their heads to conduct any form of legitimate, broad, and balanced investigation, pointing out that anything short of this will dwell within the realm of “hearsay, unhinged speculations, or crass parochialism.”
They deplored what they described as the alleged “repeated public misrepresentations, including defaming leaders and the memory of our deceased son, Akuma Akwu Igwe,” saying such “are deeply offensive, morally reprehensible, and legally actionable.”
They therefore issued a firm warning to the said parties to “immediately cease and desist from these defamatory activities and grave violations” as “Okon-Aku is committed to working closely with government authorities, the law enforcement, and all relevant agencies to resolve the crisis and ensure that justice is achieved for all affected persons and the community.”
The statement warned: “Let it be known: Okon-Aku is a community that values truth, respects the rule of law, and honors its traditions. Any attempt to undermine these principles will be met with the full force of the law.”
*PHOTO CAPTION: Gov. Otti of Abia State.
