A wave of fear has swept through the Ihie Autonomous Community in Ishiagu, Ivo Local Government Area of Ebonyi State, after the gruesome murder of a respected farmer, Chief Lazarus Ivoke, and his wife, in a chilling attack linked to a lingering land dispute.
The couple, described by residents as hardworking and peace-loving, had gone to work on their farmland when tragedy struck. Hours later, their bodies were found in horrifying condition — vital organs missing and limbs severed — in what locals have described as a sacrilegious act.
According to The Guardian, the events unfolded on July 30, 2025, when unknown assailants abducted the couple from Ndiuze Ihie community. Eyewitnesses said the attackers targeted them on farmland that has long been at the center of a bitter ownership dispute. Sources claim that the victims had been repeatedly warned by unidentified individuals not to return to the disputed land, yet they had persisted in farming it to sustain their livelihood.
What happened next shocked even a community familiar with tension — the abductors allegedly mutilated the couple’s bodies before abandoning them, sparking outrage across Ihie and beyond.
Community elders say this tragedy is the latest in a series of violent flashpoints in a land conflict dating back decades. The Ezza settlers in the area were originally welcomed by the Ihie people and granted farmland for cultivation, fostering years of mutual coexistence. However, relations have soured in recent times due to disputes over the sale of farmland, increased rental charges, and disagreements on territorial boundaries.
High Chief Ekenenneobodo Cletus, speaking during a gathering of elders, lamented that in the past few years, the dispute has spiraled into acts of aggression. He accused some elements within the Ezza group of blocking access roads to farms, assaulting local residents, and engaging in the deliberate destruction of property.
One of the most serious incidents he cited was the burning of the home of a man identified as Mr. Ekwueme, which destroyed property worth more than ₦20 million, including bags of rice, cement, gari, generators, and electronic appliances.
“We have been known for our accommodating spirit,” Cletus said solemnly. “But killing in Ishiagu and Ihie is a taboo. If you commit such an act, you must be banished for life. Our people will never resort to jungle justice, but we urge the government to hunt down those behind this crime and recover the remains of our kinsfolk for a dignified burial.”
In an attempt to calm rising tempers, the Ebonyi State Commissioner for Water Resources, Magnus Chinedu Nkah, attended an emergency peace meeting convened at the palace of Ihie’s traditional ruler, Eze Gabriel Okoro.
Addressing the gathering, Nkah condemned the killings in the strongest possible terms and called on both Ihie natives and Ezza settlers to embrace dialogue as the only viable path to lasting peace.
“There is nothing like peace, and our people must do everything to uphold it,” he stressed. “We will not tolerate any act of killing because it is a sacrilege in this community. My office will continue to support peace initiatives even as we deliver on key development projects, especially in water supply, across Ebonyi State.”
The Ivo Local Government Chairman, Ajah Emmanuel, has constituted a peace committee tasked with addressing the crisis and finding a lasting resolution. However, sources close to the committee claim that Ezza representatives have attended only one session, insisting that their grievances arise from the suspension of farmland sales and higher rental fees imposed by Ihie authorities.
Meanwhile, combined security teams from the police and military have been stationed in the area to prevent further clashes. Yet, community leaders allege that several prime suspects remain at large and have repeatedly ignored police invitations for questioning. This has fueled suspicions among locals that justice may be delayed — or even denied.
The people of Ihie remain deeply unsettled. For many, the murder of Chief Ivoke and his wife is not just a tragic loss of life but an ominous sign that the dispute could escalate into a broader cycle of violence unless decisive action is taken.
Elders have warned that if the perpetrators are not swiftly brought to justice, the fragile peace in Ishiagu and Ihie could collapse entirely. The community continues to call on both the Ebonyi State Government and federal authorities to intervene decisively — to enforce the law, mediate fairly, and ensure that such a “sacrilege” never occurs again.
For now, tension hangs heavy over the farmlands of Ihie, where decades-old grievances and fresh wounds threaten to overshadow generations of shared history.