Cross River: Man beheaded as communal clash turns deadly

From Aniekan Aniekan, Calabar

An unnamed man from the Boje community in Boki LGA of Cross River State has allegedly been beheaded following the resumption of deadly hostilities between the Boje and Isobendeghe communities.

Hon. Bette Philip Obi, a member representing Boki I State Constituency, disclosed this during plenary while bringing the State Assembly’s attention to the ongoing land dispute between the two neighbouring communities.

Hon. Obi said, “The land in question is officially designated as government reserve land and, therefore, cannot be legally claimed by either community.

“The conflict has led to several casualties, including the beheading of a man from Boje. If immediate action is not taken, the violence could spiral into a full-scale communal war.”

Speaker of the House, Rt. Hon. Elvert Ayambem, totally condemned the violence, describing the incident as “barbaric and unacceptable.”

“This House will not tolerate the needless killing of innocent people. We demand immediate security deployment to restore order, protect lives and property, and send a strong message that violence has no place in our dear state,” he said.

The House also urged the arrest of clan heads, youth leaders, and women leaders from both communities who are suspected to have played roles in the violence, as well as a full investigation into their involvement in the crisis.

Erasmus Ekpang, the State Information Commissioner, and the Chairperson of Boki, Beatrice Etta, also condemned the deadly attacks in the community.

Igris Ewa, the Deputy Police Public Relations Officer, said the police are mobilising to the area to restore normalcy.