The residents of Ngbo in Ohaukwu Local Government Area of Ebonyi State and their neighboring community, Agila in Ado Local Government Area of Benue State, have come together to actively work towards ending a long-standing war that has resulted in numerous casualties and the destruction of properties worth billions of naira.

The two communities have made the decision to reconcile by clearing the link roads between them and simultaneously visiting each other as a gesture of restoring complete peace, unity, and order.

The Ngbo-Agila conflict, which began in 1921 due to a dispute over a large piece of land, has proven difficult to resolve despite efforts from local, state, and federal governments to reconcile the communities. Previous attempts by the National Boundary Commission to establish a boundary and demarcate the land have not yielded substantial results.

Over one thousand Ngbo residents recently visited Agila in Ado Local Government Area of Benue State, while an equal number from Agila visited Ngbo and were warmly received at Ngbo’s ancestral home, Ekwashi playground.

During the visit, the Deputy Governor of Ebonyi State, represented by the State Commissioner for Border, Peace, and Conflict Resolution, Donatus Ilang, commended the two communities for their decision to end the war and embrace peace in alignment with the government’s efforts. He assured that the Ebonyi State government is committed to sustaining the newfound peace and will implement programs and policies to facilitate its longevity.

The President General of Ngbo Leaders Council, Okeh C. Okeh, and his Agila counterpart, Mr. Peter Otseh Oteokpa, expressed their assurance that the achieved peace will endure. They called on governments at all levels to construct a road that connects the communities, which, if completed, would serve as the shortest route to the northern part of Nigeria.

Youth leaders from both communities, including Michael Odo, Samuel Okpor, and Kelechi Onyeoma from Ngbo, as well as Philip Ogazi and John Odey from Agila, emphasized the economic importance of the peace that has been achieved and pledged to sustain it.