THE apex decision making body of the newly created Alioma Community in Ohaukwu Local Government Area of Ebonyi State, the Alioma Consultative Assembly, has alleged that Prince James Agena, an Ex- army officer and son of a former Traditional Ruler of the old Effium Community, is behind the unending crisis in the area.
A Statement issued by the Assembly at the weekend and made available to newsmen in Abakaliki, the Ebonyi State capital, condemned in strong terms, the role of Prince Agena in the much lingered communal feud in the community.
The statement signed by High Chief Mathias Chukwuma Aligwe and Dr. Bernard Orichi, Chairman and Secretary of the
Assembly respectively, accused Agena who currently serves as President General of Effium Town Union and mouthpiece of the community, of promoting all manner of criminal activities in the troubled community.
The statement reads in part: “The actions of James Agena and his accomplices highlight a clearagain stillda against the peace initiative set forth by our governor.Their rampage in Ezza villages, particularly in Egugba, has seen the senseless looting of properties and then tragic killings of innocent people.”
It also reads, “ordinarily, we would not have wasted our precious time to dignify the misleading Press releases by James Agena with a reply, but it hasu become expedient to set the records straight to avoid the continued brainwashing of the public and to also put Ebonyi State Government on notice of Agena’s attack on Ezza people at Egugba village, on June 5, 2025.
The general public heard Agena, loud and clear, on May 5, 2025, rejecting the peace offer made by the governor in his different protest letters sponsored across print, electric and social media platforms.”
The statement also alleged that Prince Agena never wished the war would end, for him to continue to receive funds from his sponsors.
It is widely alleged that since the Ebonyi State Government brokered piece in the war torn Effium Community, the Ex- Nigerian army officer, Agena and his retinue of supporters resorted to massive looting of people’s properties within the
Effium urban.
The Assembly alleged that the recent murder of a man identified as Monday Odah reflects Agena’s discontent with Governor Nwifuru’s peace efforts in the area, adding that Odah and other armed militants, were sent by Agena to clamp down on innocent people, resulting mass killings in the community.
It further called on the state government to urgently re-arrest and prosecute Prince Agena, on charges of
arms racketeering and trading which he was arrested for over two years ago, to serve as a deterrent to others.
“The fact that we have been keeping quiet since does not mean that we do not know what to say; we are sincerely respecting and abiding by the holistic and all-inclusive peace initiative of our peace-loving Governor, Francis Ogbonna Nwifuru,” the Assembly emphasised.
SummitNews reports that Prince Agena had had severally issued press releases, to express his Effium people’s dissatisfaction with several peace arrangements of the state government, and the possibility of returning normalcy to the troubled area.
