Abakiliki — Police authorities in Ebonyi State yesterday revealed that a total of eight persons, including three elderly women lost their lives in the crisis that erupted in Ezillo, Ishielu Local Government area of the state last month as a result of a supremacy battle over the ownership of a local food stuff market in the area.

This is coming as fragile peace seemed to be returning to the area, almost two months after the crisis broke out.

A major crisis which involved mainly two rival language groups, Ezilo and Ezza, had erupted in Ezillo, resulting in the burning down of at least 100 houses, while so many people sustained various degrees of injuries.

In his maiden press briefing since he assumed office on May 12, the State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Emmanuel Udeoji stated that out of a total of 51 persons arrested in the course of the crisis, 20 have been charged to court, while 31 persons are still being investigated with a view to ascertaining their level of involvement or otherwise.

Udeoji noted that his major concern was to ensure that total peace returned in the embattled communities, adding that he was not ready to tolerate any act that would constitute threat to the security of lives and property in the state.

"If you take a closer look at the security situation in the state, you would discover that for the past three to four weeks, we've not had anything that constituted threat to peace in the state and we are determined to maintain that record," he stated, while asking men of the underworld not to attempt to carry out their "businesses here because we are declaring total war against them".

While disclosing that his administration as the Police Commissioner would have zero tolerance for corruption, Udeoji dismissed allegations that some of his men were still collecting bribes from motorists across the state, despite consistent warnings from the Inspector General, Mr. Mike Okiro.

"Let me state it for the umpteenth time; any police officer caught collecting bribe will be sacked. By that I mean that, the officer would be severely dealt with in accordance with the provisions of the law," he stated, while cautioning Divisional Police Officers (DPOs) against indiscriminate detention of crime suspects without trials.