Three Killed In Cross River Community Clash

At least three people were yesterday killed in a communal clash involving two communities in Cross River State.

It was gathered that trouble started when Inyima community in Yakurr Local Government Area of the state was allegedly invaded by her neighbours, Adun community, in Obubra Local Government Area also of Cross River State.

The invasion, which was carried out by armed men suspected to have come from Adun village destroyed over 300 houses, displacing about 5, 000 persons, including women and children.

The attack was alleged to have been masterminded by aggrieved youths who claimed that a man from Inyima community had stolen cassava tubers from a farm belonging to an Adun man.

Though he was subsequently arrested by the police; youths in the village were not satisfied and felt that Inyima people had undermined their “superiority” to dare them.

National Mirror correspondent who visited the community about 200 kilometres from Calabar, reports that the community was in ruins as almost every residential building was either burnt or demolished.

The newly constructed and fully equipped primary healthcare centre in the community was destroyed, including facilities such as beds, drugs, solar panel and other essential facilities.

Household properties were burnt to aches and domestic animals such as goats, fowls, dogs were killed and their carcasses littered the village.

The atmosphere in the village was gloomy and the village deserted as only very few courageous men were left in the village while women and children came in only to salvage whatever property was left.

In all the five camps visited, displaced persons numbering over 5,000 were seen mostly in public buildings such as schools and churches. The camps are located in Assiga old and new towns, Igbo-Imabana, Nko and Assiga beach.

State Deputy Governor, Mr. Efiok Essien Cohbam, who visited the village, described the level of devastation as barbaric and uncalled for.

Cohbam said it was pathetic that the state government’s lofty programmes of providing social amenities such as roads, hospitals and schools, were being derailed by such shameful behavior.

He promised that the matter would be thoroughly investigated and the culprits brought to book, he urged the victims to volunteer information to enable the authorities apprehend the assailants.

The deputy governor, who was accompanied by state officials warned against any form of reprisals which could be counterproductive, pointing out that such venture, might truncate the determination of government to quickly get to the root of the matter.

The Director-General, Cross River State Emergency Management Agency, SEMA, Mr. Vincent Aquah, who visited the various camps, reassured them of government’s concern for them, promising that relief would come to them soon.