The Nigerian Army, Nigeria’s national military force, has said its ongoing security operation in Amasiri community in Afikpo North Local Government Area of Ebonyi State in south-east Nigeria is aimed at protecting residents and stopping criminals, not an invasion of the area.
The Army made this known in a statement shared on Sunday, 8 February 2026, through its official account on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter. The statement was signed by Lieutenant Colonel Olabisi Ayeni, Acting Deputy Director of Army Public Relations for the 82 Division.
The Army said it issued the statement after videos circulating online showed journalists criticising the deployment of troops in Amasiri. It explained that the operation was launched after a serious rise in violence in the area.
According to the Army, troops were deployed following the killing and beheading of four people in Okporojo village in Edda Local Government Area, and after shallow graves containing mutilated bodies were discovered in Amasiri.
The statement said the Ebonyi State Government imposed a curfew and temporarily closed schools in Amasiri as part of efforts to prevent the situation from escalating and to protect lives and property. The Army added that security agencies were deployed to enforce the curfew, support investigations and security operations, protect medical teams, and respond to the humanitarian needs created by the crisis.
Ayeni said the operation is being carried out by joint teams drawn from the Nigerian Army, the Nigeria Police Force, the Department of State Security (DSS), and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC).
He said the joint teams have been conducting intelligence-led patrols, cordon-and-search operations, and forensic exhumations in multiple burial locations. He added that the burial sites include graves of both adults and children.
The Army said the operation is not directed at the people of Amasiri, but at criminals who are taking advantage of communal tension to commit violent crimes. It added that the operation is being carried out professionally and in collaboration with local leaders to support openness and accountability.
The Army said it will continue its intervention until peace is restored, suspects are arrested, and justice is served. It also urged the public to ignore misinformation and support security efforts in Afikpo North and nearby communities.
Long-Running Land Dispute Behind The Tension
The Army’s statement came against the background of a long-running land dispute between Amasiri and the neighbouring Oso Edda community in Edda Local Government Area of Ebonyi State. The dispute has lasted for decades, with both sides laying claim to ancestral land.
Some Amasiri residents have argued that the land belongs to them and have accused Oso Edda settlers of encroaching on it over time.
The crisis intensified on Thursday, 29 January 2026, when suspected attackers from Amasiri were accused of attacking Okporojo village in Oso Edda. The assailants were alleged to have beheaded four residents, including traditional rulers, and set several homes on fire.
The attack was described as retaliatory, while both communities have continued to blame each other for starting the violence in a conflict that has simmered for years.
After the incident, Ebonyi State Governor Francis Nwifuru imposed a 20-hour curfew on Amasiri, closed schools, and dissolved the community’s leadership structure. He also removed government appointees from Amasiri, deposed traditional rulers, and the police arrested key suspects, including the Amasiri Development Centre coordinator, Anya Baron-Ogbonnia, and two monarchs.
Some Amasiri residents and community leaders later protested what they saw as a harsh response that favoured Edda. They alleged that the governor was biased and cited claims about family ties to Edda, as well as accusations of political grievances, including claims that Amasiri did not support him in past elections.
The governor’s office has defended the actions, saying they were taken to restore peace after a breach of an earlier agreement and to prevent more bloodshed.a