Policemen, soldiers, journalists, and many others, on Saturday escaped death in Nkomoro Community, Ezza North Local Government Area of Ebonyi State.
The people of the community have been at war over chieftaincy stool.
The State Correspondent of the Sun Newspaper, Uchenna Inya, Godwin Oguta, and Chinelo Okoro of the Radio Nigeria Unity FM, Abakaliki went to the community to cover the election/coronation of a traditional ruler of the community.
Inya, Oguta, and Okoro were attacked by thugs, and the Corolla car belonging to the Sun Correspondent was vandalized.
The thugs also attacked a Magistrate, Amaechi Nwakpa, and some government officials, including the Secretary of Ezza North Local Government, Mrs. Samuel Nweke; Chika Igboke, and other officials, their cars were also vandalized.
Motorcycles, tricycles, and other valuable properties were also destroyed by the thugs.
The thugs were armed with weapons including sticks, rods, stones, and other weapons.
Some members of the community had raised objections to the letter from the state Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Matters which ordered the coronation of a former Resident Electoral Commissioner of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Jacob Nwakpa.
The letter was read by Chika Igboke, the Coordinator of the Imoha Development Center.
A member of the community immediately came out with a paper and said that there was a court order restraining the election and coronation of a traditional ruler of the community.
He pleaded that the exercise should not hold.
Ignoring the content of the letter, shortly after the letter had been read, Mr Jacob Nwakpa was crowned.
However, after the coronation, youths armed with weapons blocked the entry and exit points of Okpoku Eze Secondary School, the venue of the exercise, and started vandalizing vehicles.
It was gathered that the angry youths went inside the community and burnt some properties after vandalizing the vehicles.
Meanwhile, some stakeholders of the community have blamed the Commissioner for Local Government And Chieftaincy Affairs, Uchenna Igwe for the violent incident.
They spoke in Abakaliki in a statement signed by Peter Nwafor and four others.
They said the Commissioner in connivance with one Jacob Nwakpa decided to carry out the coronation of Mr. Nwakpa in total disregard of the order of Court of Competent Jurisdiction by unscrupulous elements led one of the aspirants to the stool.