Residents of Ihetutu community in Ishiagu, Ivo Local Government Area of Ebonyi State, are mourning the killing of two youths allegedly by a soldier attached to Palladium Mining Company, as the company reportedly moves to restore peace and rebuild relations with its host community.

The victims, Chibuike Elema, 18, and Obinna Gideon Akandu, 20, were allegedly shot dead on Sunday under circumstances that have sparked outrage and renewed calls for an impartial investigation.

The shooting reportedly occurred away from the mining site operated by Palladium Mining Company, also known as Ambertone Logistics Limited.

The victims’ families and community leaders alleged that the youths were returning from work when soldiers attached to the company stopped them and demanded money for security purposes. The soldiers allegedly opened fire after the youths said they had no money to give them.

The allegations have heightened tensions in the community, with residents demanding justice for the deceased and an end to what they described as intimidation and mistreatment by security operatives.

Narrating the circumstances surrounding his son’s death, Donatus Okoro, father of Chibuike Elema, said the 18-year-old had been called from home on Sunday morning to join other workers at the mining site.

He said eyewitnesses informed him that his son and other youths were returning from work when the soldiers allegedly stopped them and demanded money.

“My son was called from the house this morning to come and join them for Sunday work. While coming back along the road, according to people who witnessed what happened, the soldiers attached to a mining company called Palladium asked them to settle them.

“But they told the soldiers that they were not with anything. The soldiers raised their guns and shot them in the head,” Okoro alleged.

The second victim, Obinna Gideon Akandu, was the son of a serving councillor representing Ihetutu community in Ivo LGA and a second-year student of Economics at Ebonyi State University, Abakaliki.

His father, Joshua Akandu, described the incident as painful, insisting that his son was innocent.

He said Obinna had returned to the community on Friday after his examinations were postponed and went to the farm on Sunday before he was allegedly shot while returning.

“My son was innocent. He just went to the farm, and while coming back, they shot him on the road,” Akandu said.

Michael Anyim, the Chairman of Ivo LGA, said the community had maintained a peaceful relationship with soldiers deployed to the area before the incident.

He, however, described the killing as unwarranted and unnecessary, appealing to aggrieved youths to avoid attacks, arson or destruction of the mining company’s property.

Anyim assured residents that the local government would collaborate with the Ebonyi State Government and the Nigerian Army to ensure justice for the victims and their families.

Meanwhile, BusinessDay gathered that Palladium Mining Company was taking steps to address the impact of the incident, reach out to the bereaved families and restore peace in the community.

The company was reportedly initiating a humanitarian process aimed at engaging the families of the deceased and the wider community to ease tensions and preserve its relationship with its host community.

The reported intervention comes amid growing concerns over the security of residents in mining communities and calls for greater accountability by security personnel deployed to protect mining operations.

The Ebonyi State Government has condemned the killings and ordered the sealing of the mining company pending the restoration of peace and the pursuit of justice for the deceased.

Governor Francis Nwifuru, who condemned the incident during a visit to the community, described the killings as tragic and regrettable, urging residents, particularly youths, to remain calm and law-abiding.

Represented by Chinedum Nkah, the Commissioner for Solid Minerals Development, the governor said that the soldier allegedly involved in the incident had been taken into custody, while investigations had commenced to establish the circumstances surrounding the shootings.

Contacted Ikenna Emmanuel Chielo, Lieutenant Colonel Commanding Officer of the Nkwagu Military Cantonment’s 24 Support Engineer Regiment in Abakaliki, confirmed that military personnel had visited the scene and that investigations were ongoing.

“We were at the scene today. Investigation is ongoing. Let’s be patient to get the full details,” he said.

Residents are demanding a transparent investigation and appropriate sanctions against anyone found responsible for the killings.

For the bereaved families, the immediate concern remains justice for their loved ones, while the community hopes that the company’s reported peace-building efforts and the ongoing investigation will help restore confidence and prevent further violence.