7 feared dead in renewed A’Ibom\C’River communal crisis

Seven persons have been reportedly killed in a renewed communal clash between Oku Iboku community in Itu local government Area of Akwa Ibom state and Ikot Offiong in Odukpani Local government area in Cross River state.

The dispute between the two neighbouring communities which has lasted for over a hundred years and has claimed hundreds of lives so far resurface Tuesday night.

The reoccurring skirmish is over the ownership of some fishing communities on the bounds of Calabar-Itu river. Those killed are mostly fishermen.

Chief Effiong Eneh, a local fish merchant lamented that the war “has defied all known traditional and political solutions even before the creation of Akwa Ibom state out of the old Cross River in 1987”.

Eneh said the incident, which he described as sad, happened late Tuesday night, explaining that “the deceased left for their fishing business at about 10:00am”.

Those killed, he added, “are all from Oku Iboku including three brothers from same parents”, adding that “three dead bodies have been recovered so far”, while mostly youths were still waiting for the remains of the other four to float to the seashore.

Lamenting the incident, Bassey Offiong Willams, a native of the neighbouring Ayadehe community, told reporters that “because of the crises which have claimed several lives, people were warned not to go deep into the sea for fishing”.

He blamed Soldiers standing guard around the troubles river for the problem, alleging “the soldiers always allowed the militants from Ikot Offiong to penetrate into our territory with their flying boats but would not allow Oku Iboku fishermen to do same”.

Mr. Ekikere Umoh, Chief Press Secretary (CPS) to the Deputy Governor, Obong Moses Ekpo, whose office oversees boundary issues involving states, said he was yet to be fully briefed on the incident.

Confirming the incident, the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Odiko Macdon, a Police Superintendent, said “we have already commenced preliminary investigation into the incident”.

He suggested what he called “pro-active measures by politicians and security agencies to bring a lasting peace to the crises”.

“I think politicians should come up with a political solution to the problem”, he said.