Also, properties worth millions were destroyed when armed youths from Enyigba reportedly stormed Alike shooting sporadically at villagers and setting houses ablaze.
A source in the community said a two-year-old boy and five others were shot dead in the over three decades old intractable dispute which was reignited last week.
The source alleged that the youth on Wednesday last week stormed the Nwelem market which is opposite the home of the immediate past governor of the state, Martin Elechi, which was a market day and opened fire on the people, killing six persons.
Police officers on duty at the nearby Alike Ikwo station, reportedly fled their duty post as they could not match the superior firepower of the youth.
The attack forced hundreds of residents of the area to flee the community.
The people of Enyigba belong to Izzi clan which is one of the major clans in Ebonyi State while Alike people belong to the Ikwo clan.
A police spokesperson, Loveth Odah, said she was out of town when contacted for comments on the incident.
The Chief Press Secretary to Governor David Umahi, Emmanuel Uzor, who confirmed the incident to reporters was, however, silent on the number of casualties.
Mr. Uzor who briefed journalists in Abakaliki on the outcome of the State Executive Council meeting, said the state government has directed the Secretary to the State Government, Bernard Odoh, to set up a nine-member committee to look into and resolve the crisis within seven days.
Mr. Umahi directed all the warring communities to cease hostilities with immediate effect and directed security agencies to arrest anybody fomenting trouble in any of the communities immediately.
The state government, according to Mr. Uzor, also directed local councils to make bye-laws to prohibit the sale or lease of land for the purposes of cattle grazing, ranching, animal movement exploration/prospecting, among others without first obtaining permission from the council chairman who in turn must obtain authorisation power from the Governor of the State.
The spokesperson said failure to obtain such permissions before selling or leasing such lands will attract severe punishment.
The state executive council also frowned at encroachment of state government lands and banned building of hotels, schools, hospitals and others service buildings without permission from government.
“Anybody who encroaches into the land acquired by the state government for purposes of development shall be committed to prison and such lands shall remain irrevocable.
“Executive Council also directed that from henceforth, building of hotels, private schools, community sponsored schools, restaurants, hospitals, pharmacies and filling stations without EXCO approval are highly prohibited.
“All private schools in Ebonyi State must be reviewed and approved by the Ministry of Education, and all such schools not approved by the ministry must be closed down within one week from the date of this briefing”, he said.
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