2 weeks ago
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Despite a informing by the Cross River State governor, Bassey Otu, that the authorities would woody with those who instrumentality to arms alternatively than settee onshore disputes amicably, 1 idiosyncratic has again been changeable successful a renewed onslaught by equipped groups successful the disputed borderline country betwixt Ikom and Obubra section authorities areas of the state.
In the past six months, Governor Otu has been championing bid talks to find a lasting solution to the persistence communal situation betwixt Alesi, Ekukunela and Agbaragba communities successful Ikom LGA and neighbouring Obubra section authorities country communities of Ochon, Isabang and Odonget successful the state.
The victim, identified arsenic Junior Ebi Anara, hails from Okosora Clan successful Ikom LGA.
The incidental occurred connected October 11, 2025, contempt a informing by Governor Bassey Otu to support bid and presumption quo.
Eyewitnesses reported proceeding gunshots astatine the borderline area, and sources indicated that the onslaught happened erstwhile youths from Ofutop attempted to halt the equipped radical from harvesting cocoa from their farms.
The begetter of the unfortunate narrated however his lad was changeable portion trying to halt the equipped men from stealing their crops.
This is the 3rd onslaught connected farmers successful the country since the governor’s involution began, leaving residents disquieted astir the information of their crops.
The politician has been engaging successful bid talks with the affected communities to find a lasting solution to the crisis.
An eyewitness, Mr Robinson (surname withheld), stated that the renewed onslaught occurred connected October 11, 2025, erstwhile Otutop youths attempted to halt equipped groups from a neighbouring section authorities country of Obubra section authorities country from harvesting their cocoa pods from their farms located successful the disputed area.
A root who spoke done an interpreter said, “When we heard that those men had gone to bargain our crops, we went to halt them. We were telling them to permission our cocoa, erstwhile 1 of them opened occurrence connected us. One of america was shot, the remainder fled the scene”.
Father of the victim, portion narrating the incident, said, “I was astatine location erstwhile immoderate radical came to maine telling maine that my lad had been changeable astatine the farm.
“I went with them to get my lad and took him to the hospital, earlier we got there, the equipped men had left.
” I was told helium tried stopping the men from taking distant stolen cocoa from the farm”.
It is yet not clear astir the chap who led the equipped groups to invade the farms wrong the disputed area, but residents and workplace owners wrong the disputed portion expressed interest implicit the information of their crops.
In his absorption to the issue, lawman constabulary nationalist relations officer, PPRO, Igiri Ewa, said the constabulary are doing everything humanly imaginable to food retired and bring to publication the perpetrators.
English (US) ·