A joint security task force has uncovered shallow graves containing mutilated bodies in Amasiri, Afikpo Local Government Area of Ebonyi State, following last week’s deadly attack on Okporojo community in Oso-Edda, Edda Local Government Area.
The operation—carried out by personnel of the Nigerian Army, Nigeria Police Force, Department of State Services, and Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps—was launched in direct response to the gruesome killing and beheading of four persons in Okporojo village.
In a statement on Sunday by the Acting Deputy Director of Army Public Relations, 82 Division, Lieutenant Colonel Olabisi Olalekan-Ayeni, the atrocities necessitated urgent intervention to restore peace, protect innocent lives, and bring those responsible to justice.
He disclosed that the Ebonyi State Government, acting within its constitutional mandate to safeguard lives and property, imposed a curfew and temporarily shut schools in Amasiri to prevent further escalation and ensure public safety.
According to Ayeni, security agencies have been deployed to enforce the curfew, conduct uninterrupted investigations and security operations, protect medical teams, and manage the humanitarian implications arising from the crisis.
He said the joint task force is executing intelligence-driven patrols, cordon-and-search operations, and forensic exhumations across affected communities.
“Credible intelligence has revealed multiple burial sites containing both adults and children, underscoring the scale of the crimes and the need for a robust security presence to dismantle criminal networks and prevent further violence,” he stated.
The Army emphasized that the deployment is not targeted at the people of Amasiri but at criminal elements exploiting communal tensions to perpetrate heinous acts. It added that the operation is intelligence-led, professional, and conducted in collaboration with local leaders to ensure transparency and accountability.
Reaffirming its commitment to protecting all citizens without bias, the Nigerian Army said the operation would continue until peace is fully restored, perpetrators are apprehended, and justice is served.
The Army also urged the public to disregard misinformation and support ongoing efforts to secure Afikpo and surrounding communities, clarifying that the intervention is not an invasion—as portrayed in some social media videos—but a lawful security operation aimed at restoring order and safety.
