Residents of Amasiri in Ebonyi State, Nigeria, face dire hardships and death after Governor Francis Nwifuru enforced strict sanctions amid a violent land clash.
The longstanding boundary dispute between Amasiri in Afikpo Local Government Area and neighbouring Okporojo in Oso Edda community boiled over on 29 January 2026.
Attackers struck Okporojo, killing several people, abducting others, and destroying property.
Governor Nwifuru quickly pointed fingers at Amasiri, claiming the community harboured the culprits.
In response, he deployed soldiers, imposed a curfew from 2pm to 10am, and shut down all schools, markets, and hospitals in Amasiri.
However, these measures have hit innocent residents hard.
Joy Idam, spokesperson for the Amasiri community, described the situation as a nightmare.
“People die from treatable illnesses because hospitals stay closed, and children miss crucial exams,” she said.
The shutdown, now stretching into its sixth week, has crippled daily life.
Farmers cannot tend their fields, traders lose income, and families struggle to access food and medicine.
In addition, the governor sacked political appointees from Amasiri, dethroned traditional rulers, dissolved the local development union, and even transferred government workers out of the area.
More recently, on 6 March, authorities ordered the destruction of all shrines and deities in Amasiri, blaming them for fuelling the conflict.
Community leaders remain in detention, and security forces have allegedly burned homes and blocked humanitarian aid.
Meanwhile, Amasiri leaders deny involvement in the attacks and accuse the government of bias.
They argue that the sanctions amount to collective punishment, rooted in political grudges over the disputed land.
In a bold move, the community filed a ₦105 billion human rights lawsuit against the state and petitioned the International Criminal Court and United Nations for intervention.
On the other side, the government defends its actions as necessary to restore peace.
It recently compensated victims of the attacks and formed a boundary committee to resolve the dispute once and for all.
The curfew has eased slightly, but schools remain closed, leaving thousands of pupils in limbo.
As tensions simmer, locals plead for dialogue.
“This land isn’t worth the lives we’ve lost,” one resident lamented.
With farming season approaching, many fear further violence unless both sides find common ground soon.
