Governor Nwifuru Eases Amasiri Curfew but Keeps Schools Shut as Hunt for Severed Heads Continues

Residents of Amasiri in Ebonyi State can finally breathe a sigh of partial relief as Governor Francis Nwifuru announced a relaxation of the “crippling” curfew that has ground the community to a halt for weeks. Following a State Security Council meeting on Tuesday, the Governor adjusted the movement window, allowing residents to conduct business between 7 a.m. and 6 p.m. daily.

However, the “State of Harmony” is far from fully restored. The Governor made it clear that while he is easing the burden on the local economy, he has “zero compromise” for the perpetrators of the January 29 massacre in neighboring Okporojo village. The attack was particularly haunting, as four victims were beheaded and their remains carried off a detail the Governor says justifies his continued hardline stance.

“Imposing a curfew is not to show power but to maintain law and order,” Nwifuru told journalists in Abakaliki. “We have made progress; suspects have made confessions that led us to shallow graves. But until the heads of those victims are recovered and justice is served, Amasiri will remain under close watch.”

In a move that has sparked concern among parents, the Governor insisted that all schools in the community must remain closed. He argued that the “dire security situation” makes it unsafe for children to return to the classrooms just yet. This decision comes despite a growing outcry from community leaders and a new legal challenge from human rights lawyer Maduabuchi Idam, who characterized the government’s collective punishment of the Amasiri people as a “menace.”

For now, the people of Amasiri have an 11-hour daily window to “eke out a living,” but with their schools closed, their monarchs dethroned, and their political leaders sacked, the community remains in a state of suspended animation. The Governor’s message is clear: the curfew may be shorter, but the hunt for the “Amasiri warlords” is only intensifying.