From Judex Okoro, Calabar
Tragedy struck Yala villages in Cross River North as Benue mercenaries attacked local farmers and killed one with scores sustaining various degrees of injuries.
The Benue farmers, who camped at Ochongo villages in Yala, have been living peacefully with their host for quite a while and have even been inter-marrying as well as socialising together.
Village sources revealed that the Benue tenants have been paying royalties to their hosts for over a decade.
But trouble started this time when the Benue farmers started encroaching into the host communities’ parcel of land and grabbed some hectares of land without permission from the traditional owners.
This led to confrontations, attacks and counter-attacks between the Benue farmers and the youths of Yala communities, who vowed not to let go of their god-given heritage.
The source further said the Yala leaders tried to maintain peace by leading a delegation to the Benue Camp to find out why they are encroaching beyond where they were allotted to farm.
But the Benue farmers rather became very hostile and rather attacked the delegation and even took the fight further down to the host communities where one was killed and many others wounded in the process.
A witness, who identified himself as John Oko, said Yala people are said to be mobilising for reprisals just as their communities have been deserted.
Confirming the attacks during a plenary session of the House of Assembly, the member representing Yala I State Constituency, Hon. Odey Wonah, said farmers from Benue State who camp in Ochongo villages in Yala LGA of the state have attacked local farmers and killed one person.
Addressing the Assembly, Wonah said: “My people have been living peacefully with these campers for years. They farm on our lands and pay royalties to the community but as the farming season commenced this year they started farming without paying anything.
“When some members of the Ochongo village approached them on the issue, they attacked them. One person was killed and others sustained various degrees of injuries.
“My people are predominantly farmers but this season, they have stopped going to their farms for fear of being attacked; my prayers are that security agents be urgently sent to forestall further perpetuation of the heinous crimes, and perpetrators brought to book.”
He appealed for the swift deployment of security agents to Ochongo to forestall further attacks and killings over farmlands.
Also speaking on the motion, Mr Agbor Dickson, a member representing Obubra 1 State Constituency, noted that something needed to be done urgently for peace to return in the community and those around it.
“Yala LGA produces a large portion of food eaten in Cross River and beyond. If nothing was done for the people to go back to their farms, there would be hunger in 2024,” he said.
Speaking on the matter, the Speaker of the House, Mr Elvert Ayambem, condemned the killing and attack on Yala communities by the Benue farmers and assured that the state government would move in to forestall further attacks.