"Tension in Neke community over chief's kidnap
By Tony Edike
Friday, December 29, 2006

Enugu—TENSION is mounting at Neke community in Amanyi Local Government Development Centre of Enugu State following the alleged kidnap of the former secretary to the centre, Chief Silas Agbo by some persons suspected to be members of a religious group in the community.

Reports said the community, which was engulfed in a communal feud early this year following a disagreement between Christians and traditional worshippers and which resulted in the setting up of a Panel of Inquiry by the state government, may be heading for another major crisis if urgent steps were not taken to arrest the situation.


Vanguard learnt that Chief Agbo believed to be a strong supporter of the traditional religion, was kidnapped at about 11 am from his home in Akani-Neke autonomous community on Wednesday and was taken to an unknown destination.


A leader of the community, Chief J. C. Nnaji from Isienu village, who formally reported the development to Governor Chimaroke Nnamani in a Save Our Soul letter dated December 27, 2006 copy of which was made available to Vanguard yesterday, said that the kidnap of Chief Agbo has again heightened tension in the community and called for urgent intervention by the government.

He recalled that the state government had following the crisis in the area early this year directed that the people of the community should allow peace to reign and that while the traditional worshippers should stay clear from the Christian activities, the Christians in the same vein were asked to be mindful of their own religion.


But in spite of the peace effort, Nnaji said that “today(yesterday) being 27/12/2006 , to our greatest surprise the Christians in Neke came to his house at about 11 am and kidnapped Chief Silas N. Agbo of Akani-Neke autonomous Community and former Secretary to Amanyi Local Government Development Centre,” adding that after “an unimaginable torture, they took him to unknown destination.”