…victims call for aids from gov’t, NGOs.
From Judex Okoro, Calabar
The incessant outbreaks of communal clashes in Cross River state have continued unabated as 35 houses have been burnt with three thousand persons displaced in Ovonum and Ofatura local government over the struggle for peace of land.
In almost in all border communities, it has become the order of the day as hardly any planting season would pass by without land disputes which always culminate into bloodbath.
Checks revealed that Ovonum and Ofatura communities have been engaged in a fratricidal war over ownership of a piece of land, leading to loss of lives in the last ten years.
The recent outbreak of hostilities started in April 4, 2023 when the Ofarura people invaded their Ovonum brothers, allegedly killed three persons and brunt several houses including the ones belonging to Oyama Sunday Abeng, Zadok Anthony and DS Cyprian Ovat just as Ovonum people also went for reprisal burning some houses in Ofatura.
A source close to the village said the traditional council of Adon kingdom were not happy at the ugly incident and later fined the warring Ofatura and Ovonum communities a life cow and goat respectively with Ovonum refusing to pay the fine, complaining that Ofatura people, who were the aggressor, were treated with kid gloves.
According to the source, the leadership of both Ovonum and Ofatura living in Calabar followed up with a peace meeting and resolved that those who already planted on the disputed land should be allowed to harvest and vacate the land and banned further destruction of crops by both communities, adding that anybody who breaches the public peace should be prosecution just as they directed the head of the disputing family to call for truce.
The source further hinted that the leadership of both communities gave the traditional council two weeks to come up with a Memoranda of Understanding (MoU) on the way forward while demanding just as they advised head of the family in Ofatura, who is also the head of Ovonum, to demand that Ovonum people register with their family members at Ofatura.
Present at the Calabar meeting include Chief Sylvanus Odong, Bar. Emmanuel Ochaten, Collins Agbor Oyama, Elder Obem, Chief Oyom Enang (clan head of Ofatura), hief Raymond Okpa (clan head of Ovonum), Dr. Alfred Mboto, retired Permanent Secretary anf former State Security Adviser (SSA), Porf. Walter Mboto, Oyen Oyom, Jombo Ntimicchera, Abeng Enang, and Ntor Emmanuel, representative of Adon community and youth leaders.
But barely a week after the Calabar meeting the Ofatura youths on early hours of Nigeria 63rd Independence Anniversary day attacked the Ovonum community killing one Eko Eteng Ayo and destroyed over 35 houses and property belonging mostly to prominent personalities.
An eye-witness, who simple gave his name as Enang Emmanuel Enang, blamed the latest hostilities on some of the elders who fed the Ofatura community leadership with lies that the Ovonum people had beaten up some Ofatura farmers who had gone to harvest their produce.
Narrating their ordeal, Enang, who hails from Ovonun, said: “Amid all these disagreements, one of the leaders of Ofatura village council, still went ahead and sold a Melina tree in an Ovonun person’s farm and when they person, who bought the tree, went to cut down it, the owner of the farm refused and drove him away. ”
He said the Ofatura village elders misinterpreted the incident and rather directed the youths to go for reprisals, which escalated the crisis more, leading to intervention of the police, who investigated the matter and found out that the Ofatura people lied that their people were beaten and maimed.
He added that even when the culprits were arrested, the Ofatura community rallied round and bailed the culprits out on Wednesday last week.
Another witness, Okonga Okpa, said trouble again started brewing on Saturday, September 30, evening when information filtered out that a young man from Ovonum, carrying a woman on a bike and returning from Apiapum with sacks of bags, was stopped by the Ofatura youths and his bike seized.
According to him, Ovonum people did not take it likely and quickly sent an emissary to the chief of Ofatura, who immediately released the motorcycle.
Okpa explained that the crisis got to a climax when at the wee hours of October 1, when Ofatura community youths and some mercenaries were sited at the border between the two communities with dangerous weapons and at exactly 12 midnight the Ofatura militias invade the Ovonum community and unleashed mayhem.
According to him, most most of them could not take out even a pin because they were taking unawares and by the time the soldiers arrived, a lot of damage has been done to the Ovonum with thousands displaced and now taking refuge at Matter Mesricodia Catholic Church at Ovonum, accusing a member of the House of Assembly of being behind the recent attack on the people.
In an emotion-laden tone, Opka called on government and other Non-government Organisations (NGOs) to come to our aid before we suffer outbreak of epidemic.
But another witness from Ofatura, Justine Oyom Ovat said: “The recent crisis was caused by the Ovonum people who feel they are the lord in this Adon Kingdom. They fined them a life cow after the April 4 crisis and they refused behaving as if they are above the law. I can also tell you that their prominent sons have been oppressing us and instigating internal crisis.
“It is sad that while we are still trying to resolve some lingering issues, this one happened. We call on all leaders to come to a round table and find a lasting solution to this intractable clash.”
Denying involvement in the Ovonum and Ofatura communal clashes, the member representing Obubra II state constituency (the two warring communities) in the House of Assembly, Hon. Egbe Abeng Egbe, said: “I can tell you that the recent peace enjoyed in the community is because of my intervention.
” When I got a call about the outbreak of the recent problem on Sunday night I moved quickly from Yala where I was on an oversight, I moved down to my community and tried to mobilise the security to intervene and at last I succeeded.
“The destruction is on both communities and with the help of Governor Bassey Otu a detachment of soldiers are stationed there to restore peace. Therefore, I call on the government to interrogate the leadership of both Ofatura and Ovoum because they need to find lasting peace to this problem.”
Also speaking on the clash, the Cross River State Police Command’s Public Relations Officer, PPRO, Irene Igbo, said the Police crack team are already stationed at the warring communities, adding that peace has returned.
She said the Police would always do their best to maintain lives and property, especially at the border communities, but enjoined the community leaders to always exhaust dialogue whenever there are disagreements and report to security agencies whenever there are noticeable threat to public peace.