Oruku community in the Nkanu East Local Government Area of Enugu State has been thrown into chaos after hoodlums razed no fewer than 10 houses.

The houses were burnt between December 25 and 28, 2022.

Among the houses burnt on Tuesday and Wednesday was the palace of the late traditional ruler of the community, Igwe Emmanuel Mba.

Others affected are the houses of a former local government chairman, Ejike Ani, and his younger brother, Agozie Ani.

It was gathered that an unidentified man was killed during the arson.

Agozie, in a message to our correspondent, decried the burning of his house, adding that everything in the building was razed.

He said, “Over 10 houses were burnt in Oruku from December 25, 2022, including my own, and those of Ejike Ani and the late Igwe Emmanuel Mba.

“They also shot and killed a man on Christmas Day. Our crime is supporting Governor Ugwuanyi’s peace deal on the Oruku-Umuode crisis.”

Our correspondent obtained two videos showing the hoodlums as they celebrated the arson. A clip showed a burnt house owned by Ejike.

One of the hoodlums was heard saying, “This is the house of idiot Ejike Ani, the devil that brought ruin to Oruku by joining the weakling called Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi. This is his house — this is boys’ quarter.”

The gunmen have been terrorising residents after the Enugu State Government set up a judicial panel to look into a communal conflict involving two communities, Oruku and Umuode.

The findings and recommendations of the panel have since been submitted to the state government but not much has been heard about its implementation.

No fewer than 12 prominent people from Oruku, who supported the state governor’s peace initiative, have been reported killed and over 100 houses razed since December 26, 2020.

The hoodlums behind the mayhem are believed to be working for some powerful individuals involved in the protracted communal conflict, which has lasted for about two decades.

The state Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Daniel Ndukwe, said, “I don’t have information on this.”