A truck driver plying the ever-busy Ishiagu/Okigwe Express road in Ivo Local Government Area of Ebonyi State has been shot dead by suspected warlords.

The people of Umuobor, Akaeze and their neighbours, Ogwor, Ishiagu both in Ivo local government area of Ebonyi State have been in a lingering communal crisis over land dispute for decades now with lives lost and properties worth millions destroyed.

It would be recalled that early last month, about six persons were killed by suspected warlords. The warlords have continued to block the Ishiagu/Okigwe expressway, attacking and maiming motorists and other road users

The warlords also struck again killing the truck driver from Imo State along the Ayaragu axis of the expressway. The killing generated tension and panic along the axis as several messages of the killing of the driver flooded the social media, thereby forcing motorist and commuters to abandoned the route for alternative routes.

When contacted, the State Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Joshua Ukandu said he was not aware of the incident.

He said he will contact Ivo police division on it and promised to get back to Daily Sun which he didn’t do.

Meanwhile, the State government has called on the warring communities to ceasefire and embrace peace.

The Commissioner for Border Peace and Conflict Resolution in the state, Donatus Ilang, made the call during a fact finding trip to the disputed zone in order to authenticate the submissions made to the Ministry by both parties on the land.

He frowned at the absence of the Umobor stakeholders who claimed that they were not informed about the fact finding mission despite the invitation allegedly passed to them through the Committee set up by the two communities to ensure that lasting peace returned to the communities.

He condemned the destruction of lives and properties in the protracted war and accused the communities of taking laws into their hands which will he said attract capital punishment upon any culprits found wanting.