By; Patrick Titus, Uyo.
Reports from the warring communities of Oku Iboko in Akwa Ibom and Ikot Offiong in Cross River states indicate that four persons have been killed while many others sustained injuries in a renewed communal clash on Tuesday.
Mr. Bassey Bassey, former vice chairman of Itu local government area in Akwa Ibom state who disclosed this to newsmen also said that over 20 houses including a petrol filling station, trucks, and other vehicles were burnt in the aged-long communal conflict.
Passengers to and from Calabar, the capital of Cross River State, were said to have been stranded for hours as the major access road had been cordoned by soldiers, anti-riot policemen and other emergency security operatives.
A community leader in Oku Iboku, Chief Ene Essien, said the latest incident occurred after series of attempts by Ikot Offiong people to reoccupy the fishing area after they were forced out of the place by the people of Oku Iboku, failed.
“The Ikot Offiong people are fishermen, who migrated into our area from Akpabuyo in Cross River state to settle. After settling for so many years, they developed the instinct of seizing our land and even expanding more into Itu.
“Their uncomplimentary relationship with the host community forced us to push them away from the fishing community. When they left our community, they settled at Odukpani, but the people also pushed them out to their place in Akpabuyo, because of their penchant for war,” Chief Essien said.
He stated that the intractable war has lingered for years leading to intermittent attacks by the invaders from Ikot Offiong.
Essien said the clash started around the fishing area, but later escalated to the Calabar-Itu road, when the people of Ikot Offiong returned in reprisal that led to the dead of six persons after sporadic shootings.
The invaders were said to have returned with armed men in 11 busses and flying boats, but were later repelled by a combined team of soldiers, anti-riot policemen and men of the State Anti-Robbery and Kidnapping Squad.
On Monday, two aides to the Akwa Ibom State governor, Mr. Udom Emmanuel, Essien Ndueso and Joseph Okon, who were trapped in the incident as they were returning from official assignment from Calabar, narrated their ordeal, saying, “The entire area was on fire and thank God we were not cut down by bullets.”
Akwa Ibom state police public relations officer (PPRO), ASP Cordelia Nwawe, who confirmed the incident with many people injured, however disputed the claim that anyone died in fury.
The police has deployed detachments of police mobile policemen from units 26 and 57, to arrest situation between the two warring communities and forestall further attack, Nwawe said.
Mr. Bassey Bassey, former vice chairman of Itu local government area in Akwa Ibom state who disclosed this to newsmen also said that over 20 houses including a petrol filling station, trucks, and other vehicles were burnt in the aged-long communal conflict.
Passengers to and from Calabar, the capital of Cross River State, were said to have been stranded for hours as the major access road had been cordoned by soldiers, anti-riot policemen and other emergency security operatives.
A community leader in Oku Iboku, Chief Ene Essien, said the latest incident occurred after series of attempts by Ikot Offiong people to reoccupy the fishing area after they were forced out of the place by the people of Oku Iboku, failed.
“The Ikot Offiong people are fishermen, who migrated into our area from Akpabuyo in Cross River state to settle. After settling for so many years, they developed the instinct of seizing our land and even expanding more into Itu.
“Their uncomplimentary relationship with the host community forced us to push them away from the fishing community. When they left our community, they settled at Odukpani, but the people also pushed them out to their place in Akpabuyo, because of their penchant for war,” Chief Essien said.
He stated that the intractable war has lingered for years leading to intermittent attacks by the invaders from Ikot Offiong.
Essien said the clash started around the fishing area, but later escalated to the Calabar-Itu road, when the people of Ikot Offiong returned in reprisal that led to the dead of six persons after sporadic shootings.
The invaders were said to have returned with armed men in 11 busses and flying boats, but were later repelled by a combined team of soldiers, anti-riot policemen and men of the State Anti-Robbery and Kidnapping Squad.
On Monday, two aides to the Akwa Ibom State governor, Mr. Udom Emmanuel, Essien Ndueso and Joseph Okon, who were trapped in the incident as they were returning from official assignment from Calabar, narrated their ordeal, saying, “The entire area was on fire and thank God we were not cut down by bullets.”
Akwa Ibom state police public relations officer (PPRO), ASP Cordelia Nwawe, who confirmed the incident with many people injured, however disputed the claim that anyone died in fury.
The police has deployed detachments of police mobile policemen from units 26 and 57, to arrest situation between the two warring communities and forestall further attack, Nwawe said.
