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The Governor of Ebonyi State, Francis Nwifuru, has eased the curfew imposed on the Amasiri community in Afikpo Local Government Area, adjusting movement restrictions to between 6 p.m. and 7 a.m.
Governor Nwifuru disclosed this on Tuesday while addressing journalists after a State Security Council meeting at his office in New Government, Centenary City, Abakaliki.
The earlier curfew had restricted movement from 2 p.m. to 10 a.m. following a violent attack on Okporojo, Oso-Edda in the Edda Local Government Area, where four people were killed and reportedly beheaded.
The governor warned that the failure of the Amasiri community to produce the severed heads of the victims after the expiration of a 72-hour ultimatum would result in tougher actions to compel compliance.
He added that schools in Amasiri would remain shut as a precaution while security agencies continue their investigations. Nwifuru also confirmed that all arrested suspects would be prosecuted.
Reaffirming his administration’s resolve to restore lasting peace, the governor said the attack occurred on the afternoon of January 29, 2026, when unidentified gunmen allegedly stormed Okporojo, burning houses and killing residents. Four victims were reportedly decapitated, with their heads taken away by the attackers.
Footage that later circulated online showed homes engulfed in flames, prompting residents to appeal to the state government and security agencies for urgent intervention.
In response, Nwifuru immediately dismissed all government appointees from Amasiri, dissolved the community development union leadership, and removed village heads across the community. He also withdrew the traditional ruler’s certificate.
Visibly angered by the incident, the governor described the killings as deeply disturbing and unexpected.
“So on this note, for the time being, the development union executive and all of the villages in Amasiri communities are hereby dissolved. The traditional ruler certificate is thereby withdrawn; all the government appointees from Amasiri are thereby sacked,” he said.
“All the government appointees from the management committee down to the commissioner, anyone from Amasiri, are hereby sacked. All the village heads in all Amasiri villages in all the autonomous communities are hereby removed.
“For the time being, we will do more. And we will show everybody why we’re the government,” the governor added.
He assured residents that the state government would take decisive action against those responsible, stressing that the lives lost would not be in vain.
