No fewer than 55 suspects arrested in connection with the intra-communal crisis between Ezza-Effium and Effium clans in Ohaukwu Local Government Area of Ebonyi State have escaped from custody, sources said on Saturday.

The Sources said that only 11 of them out of the total number of 66 were rearrested.Yet, another source said that the 11 suspects could not escape because they were already old and could not run.

The suspects, who were mainly from Jukun, Igala and other sub-ethnic nationalities were allegedly arrested by combined team of Army and police led by the General Officer Commanding 82 Division of the Nigerian Army, Enugu,  Maj-Gen Lagbaja, when he undertook an on-the-spot assesment of the crisis in the war-torn community.

A security source said: “The GOC was accompanied by the Deputy Governor of Ebonyi State, Kelechi Igwe and other security chiefs when they cordoned off Okpoduma village, an Effium enclave where the militias at Uffiom were camped and arrested over 66 of them and handed them over to the police.

“However, drama ensued when on return, the Deputy Governor and the GOC were shocked with the information of the escape of 55 suspects from police custody which threw the entire state into confusion.”

“Look at them in these pictures. These pictures have already garnered a thunderous applause for Ebonyi state government and the military. You can see that the crisis in Ebonyi State is political. The government know what is going on. It’s the hand of Esau, voice of Jacob.”

But while a source said 11 of the fleeing suspects were rearrested and are currently in police custody, another source said they could not run away because of old age.

But as at the time of this report, she had yet to get back while several efforts to reach her were not successful as her telephone line was not going through.

Source: https://metrowatchonline.com/effium-killings-fear-grips-ebonyi-as-55-suspects-escape-from-police-custody-mysteriously/