More than twenty persons were feared killed yesterday in a communal conflict between the Oku Iboku and Ikot offiong people of Akwa Ibom and Cross River States of Nigeria.

oku-iboku

The inter-community conflict between the Oku Iboku – Ikot Offiong people has been recorded to linger for over a century but got to a full scale war in 2000 when the Ikot Offiong people were dislodged from their ancestral home.

Loud Whispers gathered that the Ikot Offiong people are of the Efik speaking trip while the Oku Iboku people are Ibibios. According to the interviewees, the relations between the two communities got strained when the Ikot Offiong people declared that they are from Odukpani LGA of Cross River State. In reaction to the claimed secession, the Oku Iboku people dislodged the Ikot Offiong people from their ancestral home.

In the renewed conflict, Loud Whispers gathered that the clash between the two communities which started Friday night was like ‘war’ as sophisticated weapons were used by both sides and unconfirmed number of people had been killed.

The highest number of casualties were said to have come from the people of Ikot Offiong as they were ambushed in the attack and chased to the neighbouring community in Odukpani local government area.

Travelers along the Calabar-Itu highway were held up for hours yesterday until soldiers chased the hoodlums away to clear the road for smooth movement of motorists and commuters.

Eyewitnesses bemoaned that the conflict had been in a stalemate until December 2016 with fresh attacks.

“Yesterday’s (Saturday) attack was face to face. It was like war. When blood enters your eyes you don’t know who is involved”, the source said.

The Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) ASP Cordelia Nwawe confirmed the crisis but said she was not in position to talk on the casualty rate as the duty of security operative drafted to the area was to maintain peace at the boundary between Akwa Ibom and Cross River States.

However, the PPRO of Cross River State, Irene Ugbo said, “yes, we are aware. There is no casualty recorded and our men are there; they have been there since and we deployed other men this morning (yesterday) by the time we heard the news last night. So as at now the area is calm.

“We are still investigating the matter to know what caused the recent fight and no arrest has been made yet. We are talking peace and trying to bring peace between the communities and we cannot use violence. We are trying to talk to them peacefully so that they can reconcile and come together, we cannot use force on them else it will aggravate the fight.

“We are trying to know what their problems are, what they are fighting for and what is provoking each community. Before this present fight last we have stationed our men there”, the PPRO said.