After over four months of non-ecclesiastical activities, the people of Isseke Community in Ihiala Local Government Area of Anambra State would be holding church services today.

This is on the account of the insecurity in the area, which has lasted for three years, orchestrated by deadly menace of gunmen from the entire Ihiala to neighbouring communities in Imo State.

In the month of June this year, gunmen stormed the St Joseph’s Catholic Parish and St Mary’s Anglican Parish, Isseke, fired several shots and stopped church services that were going on that fateful day; ordering both the clerics and their congregation to stop holding church services.

This latest development was made possible when on September 25, youths and leaders of Isseke Community, numbering over 130, stormed their town, chanting war songs and engaged the gunmen that had taken over the town for years, who fled the town for their dear lives.

When Sunday Telegraph visited Isseke Community yesterday, markets, schools and other public places had been over grown by grasses while human skeletons were littered at most overgrown farm lands.

According to Rev Fr. Obidiegwu Chukwuemeka Ernest, the Parish Priest of St Joseph Catholic Parish, Isseke, the church compound is being cleared and the church is being cleaned up preparatory for the Sunday Mass.

“I have been parish priest for three years and half and I have been here for five years as Parish Vicar

“We are trying to clear our compound because we were forced to stop celebrating Mass for some months now ”

“We have been celebrating Mass casually for about three years now but last three months, they came here and asked us to stop celebrating Mass.”

“Since then, the congregation dispersed”

Obidiegwu, whose happiness knew no bounds, announced that he would be celebrating Mass this Sunday, urging the congregation to attend as peace has returned to the Community.

“But today, we are clearing our church compound that has been overgrown by grasses for years now to celebrate Mass tomorrow and after, both Morning Mass and Sunday Masses.

“We thank God for peace that is being restored gradually and every quarter of making efforts to restore permanent peace in Isseke and on our part as the church, we have made our own contributions to this peace by opening and cleaning the church for the people of God to come and worship God ”

“By the grace of God, I intend to celebrate Mass this Sunday and that is 6am Mass and 9 am Mass ”

“To God be the glory that what we have been praying for has come and God has answered our prayers.”

“We thank our young men and women of Isseke for taking over their town and we pray that it is sustained” he said.

Also speaking, the Pastors of St Mary’s Anglican Church, Isseke, Rev Princewill Usoetu and DSO Ezeani , reechoed the same announcement that there would be church services this Sunday to show that the three years of gunmen captivity are over and that peace has returned to Isseke Community.

“Isseke people have resolved to reclaim their community that was taken over by hoodlums and it was not like this before.”

They both recalled how gunmen came into the church on a Sunday and ordered them not to hold church services.

“Yes, we were inside the church that fateful day when the gunmen stormed the church and told us to stop holding church services and shooting everywhere and so, the congregation had to run away to other safe towns ”

“We urge the government to come and help us to rebuild our destroyed churches , schools and health centres.

“Even our market was destroyed by them.

“Government should give us adequate security and we are ready to work with the state government to achieve that .

“We had general encounter on June 15. They came here shooting, so the churches closed.

“We are going to hold church service this Sunday (today) and as you can see, the congregation is here clearing and cleaning the church ” they promised.

One of the leaders of the Community and Special Assistant to Governor Charles Soludo of Assembly Matters, Hon Thaddeus Elukaoha, explained that the peace in Isseke Community was as a result of several meetings by group of youths , community leaders, which has resulted in a huge success.

“As you can see, we are cleaning everywhere, including our markets, schools and churches and you can see people returning to their homes because peace and security has come back to our town.”

Elukaoha further reported that most buildings were either burnt down or vandalised by the gunmen, adding that over 100 persons had been killed by the fleeing gunmen.

“The number is not clear but an estimated over 100 persons have been killed by gunmen and countless buildings either burnt or destroyed by these hoodlums.

“We, the people of Isseke have taken over our land and that was on the 25th of September this year, when we mobilised everyone and we saw them and engaged them and they ran away out of our town. ”

“But it is not over yet because we have taken steps at ensuring that they do not come back here. ”

He expressed appreciation of the community to the Police, Army Agunechemba and other security operatives for their assistance and protection while calling for reinforcement.

“We thank Governor Charles Soludo for what he has done for us in the area of security as well as the Nigerian Army , the Police , Agunechemba and other security personnel for their assistance because we couldn’t have done it alone and we urge them to please, give us more security architecture and personnel to sustain this peace ” he pleaded.

…Anambra Police partner neighbouring states against fleeing gunmen

The Police in the area is partnering with neighbouring states to ensure that the gunmen were totally wiped out.

According to the Police Public Relations Officer, SP Tochukwu Ikenga, the actions of Isseke youths were highly commendable, adding that the Command would continue to work with the youth in the town.

“Anambra youths are not only joining voices with the security operatives, especially the Police to condemn what is happening in Isseke today.

“Security is actually everyone’s business and we believe that with this cooperation that we are receiving from them, we believe that we can finally take more space than that this criminal elements are using to perpetrate crime.

“And we urge other communities to borrow a leaf from what Isseke youths have done, though some of them in the time past had joined them.

Ikenga also announced that the Command has arrested a 64-year-old man, who had been extorting money from people, who want to organise burials, adding that he has been providing useful information to the police.

“We arrested someone that is currently in our custody, a 64-year-old man allegedly involved in extorting people and we have been having this information that persons having burial ceremony pay money to these criminals and after investigation, we confirmed that he is the one doing that and we arrested him and he is currently providing useful information for the police on those involved in the extortion.”

He promised that the Command would look into the demands of the Isseke Community for more deployment of security personnel but noted that what it was doing at the moment was strategic deployment.

“For us, it is not all about the number of security operatives but it is about strategic deployment.”

“But we believe that with the support that we are getting from the youth, we can make further effective operations.”