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.
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