The people of Ikot Offiong,
who are an Efik speaking tribe of Calabar, were said to have been dislodged
from their settlement at Ayadehe community, Oku Iboku council, over the
decades.
No fewer than 20 persons
are feared dead in the renewed clash between the people of Oku Iboku in Itu
Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State and Odukpani Local Government Area in
Cross River State.
It was gathered that in the
clash between the two communities which started Friday night, combatants from
both communities used sophisticated weapons.
It was further gathered
that the highest number of casualties was on the Ikot Offiong side, as they
were allegedly ambushed in the attack and chased to a neighbouring community in
Odukpani Local Government Area of the state. It was learned that travellers
along the major link road between the two states, the Calabar-Itu high way,
were held hostage for hours on Saturday until soldiers arrived the scene and
chased the hoodlums away and cleared the road for smooth movement of traffic.
An eyewitness bemoaned the actions of the people of Ikot Offiong and wondered
why they should start another war after both communities had entered into a
peaceful settlement since 2014.
The eyewitness who spoke to
newsmen on grounds of anonymity, said that the recent attack which was the
third in recent times, must have been sponsored, adding that both communities
have no justifiable reason to kill each other because they inter-marry. The
Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Cordelia Nwawe, confirmed the clash, but
said the police was not in a position to speak on the casualty figure.
Meanwhile, on another front, community leaders in Obubra Local Government Area
of Cross River State have told Governor Dave Umahi of Ebonyi State to steer
clear from the internal crisis of communities in Cross River State.
This is just as the member
representing Obubra/Etung federal constituency of Cross River State, Mr Mike
Etaba, has sued for peace among warring communities of Obubra so as to attract
development to the area. It will be recalled that about nine people were killed
penultimate week and several houses destroyed in renewed skirmishes between
Igbo speaking communities of Obubra, Ohanne Edda and their neighbouring Ogurube
community while about 2,000 people are allegedly displaced.
A motor-cycle operator,
Jonah Isangha, who was allegedly beheaded and his head allegedly used to
perform the ritual rites for a chief in Ohanne Edda sparked off the crisis in
the community. Briefing newsmen in Abuja, weekend, one of the community leaders
and former member of House of Representatives, Chief Ernest Irek, accused the
Ebonyi State Government of interfering in the internal matters between
communities in Cross River State. He expressed surprise over the involvement
and interest expressed by the Ebonyi State Government even when the communal
crisis was between communities in Cross River State.
When contacted, the
Commissioner of Police in Cross River State, Hafiz Mohammed, said he was not
aware of the incident because he was only a week old in the state but promised
to investigate. But the Divisional Police Officer, DPO, in Obubra, Noah Ntuen,
confirmed the beheading in the area and said that the picture of the deceased
was in his office. He said, “If you want the picture of the deceased, it is in
my office.
The incident happened on
January 10 and 11. I was the one that
removed the corpse. But I am not aware
if the blood was traced to anybody’s place. The situation is under control now.”
Ohanne Edda people trace their link to Ebonyi and speak the same language but
the area was ceded to Cross River and named as returning communities by the
Justice Nasir Boundary Adjustment Commission after the Nigeria/Biafra civil
war.
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