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The Ebonyi State Government has sealed Palladium Mining Company, following the killing of two youths in Ihetutu community, Ivo Local Government Area, while the soldier allegedly involved in the shooting has been taken into custody pending the outcome of an investigation.
The victims, Chibuike Elema, 18, and Obinna Gideon Akandu, 20, were reportedly shot dead on Sunday, along a road said to be some distance from the mining site operated by Palladium Mining Company, also known as Ambertone Logistics Ltd.
Governor Francis Nwifuru, who condemned the incident during a visit to the community, described the killings as tragic and regrettable, urging residents, particularly the youth, to remain calm and law-abiding.
Represented by the Commissioner for Solid Minerals Development, Chief Chinedum Nkah, Nwifuru said a full investigation had commenced to establish the circumstances surrounding the deaths.
The government’s intervention followed allegations by the victims’ families and community members that the youth were shot after refusing demands by soldiers for money purportedly for security purposes.
However, the allegations are yet to be independently established.
Narrating the circumstances surrounding his son’s death, Mr Donatus Okoro said Chibuike had been called from home on Sunday morning to join other workers at the mining site.
He alleged that eyewitnesses told the family that soldiers stopped the youths as they returned from work and opened fire after they said they had no money to give them.
“My son was called from the house this morning to come and join them for Sunday work. While coming back along the road, according to people who witnessed what happened, the soldiers attached to a mining company called Palladium asked them to settle them,” Okoro alleged, adding that the soldiers shot the youths in the head.
The second victim, Obinna Gideon Akandu, was a second-year Economics student at Ebonyi State University, Abakaliki, and the son of a serving councillor representing Ihetutu community.
His father, Mr Joshua Akandu, said the deceased had returned to the community after his examinations were postponed and went to the farm on Sunday before he was allegedly shot while returning.
“My son was innocent. He just went to the farm, and while coming back, they shot him on the road,” he said.
The Chairman of Ivo Local Government Area, Chief Michael Anyim, described the killings as unwarranted, saying the community had maintained a peaceful relationship with soldiers deployed to the area before the incident.
He appealed to aggrieved youths to refrain from attacking or destroying the company’s property, assuring them that the local and state governments would work with the Nigerian Army to ensure justice.
The Commanding Officer of the Nkwagu Military Cantonment’s 24 Support Engineer Regiment in Abakaliki, Lieutenant Colonel Ikenna Emmanuel Chielo, confirmed that military personnel had visited the scene.
“We were at the scene today. Investigation is ongoing. Let’s be patient to get the full details,” he told our reporter in a telephone conversation.
Meanwhile, Palladium Mining Company is reportedly making arrangements to reach out to the bereaved families and the wider community as part of efforts to restore peace and rebuild relations with residents.
The company’s reported humanitarian initiative is expected to cushion the impact of the deaths on the families and prevent further deterioration of relations with its host community, although details of the proposed intervention have not been disclosed.
Residents and community leaders, however, insist that peace efforts must be accompanied by a transparent investigation, accountability for anyone found culpable and concrete measures to prevent a recurrence.
With the mining company sealed and the soldier allegedly involved in custody, attention has shifted to the outcome of the investigation and the commitment of the state government and military authorities to ensuring justice for the two slain youths.
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