NO fewer than 10 persons were yesterday injured in a violent clash in Nkpor, Idemili North local government area of Anambra state over a leadership crisis that has engulfed the community in the last four years.
Eyewitnesses said the bloody incident occurred when a group of boys armed with guns, machetes and other dangerous weapons attacked revenue collectors at the Nkpor main market.
Chairman of the Caretaker Committee, Mr. Chuma Chukwurah disclosed that the major cause of the lingering crisis in the communitywas the refusal of the Raphael Nnabuife- led executive to vacate office after the expiration of its tenure.
He said the community decided to set up a caretaker committee to handle the affairs of the community after a botched election late last year.
He alleged that Nnabuife, who is also the Caretaker Chairman of Idemilli North local government area, has continued to frustrate all genuine efforts to amicably settle the leadership crisis due to the huge revenue generated in the community.
The revenue, he alleged, were never accounted for, maintaining that "they have carried on as if the community is their private estate".
Chukwurah said, "I am the authentic caretaker chairman, who was duly commissioned to run the affairs of the community but the other faction bent on frustrating all genuine efforts by the community to achieve peace went to the market and drove our people who were collecting revenue from the market.
"Although they obeyed and left but they were ambushed by armed thugs who used all kinds of dangerous weapon on them, as we speak about six of them were severely wounded and still in the hospital. They are holding the entire community hostage because of their contacts in government".
Nnabuife, a lawyer, said that the group claiming to be caretaker committee was not recognised by the community or government authorities.
He described them as a group of "bandits" who have been troubling the peace of the community for a very long time.
He confirmed his tenure expired late last year but noted that he was reappointed to continue for another three months when the union's election was disrupted last year.
Anambra state Police Public Relations Officer, Emeka Chukwuemeka, said that he has not been briefed on the development.
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