By JUDEX OKORO, CALABAR

Three persons are feared dead in a renewed communal clash between Orugbam and the communities of Ipene and Egbor in Biase local government area of Cross River.

For decades, these warring communities have been engaged in a fratricidal war over the ownership of palm plantation and some parcel of land.

In 2018, the war escalated as Abanwan, Ipene, and Egbor communities invaded the Orugbam and razed down the entire community and sent them into exile to Ekoli Edda in Afikpo South of Ebonyi state. Since then the Orugbam people have been staying there as internal displaced persons.

However, the Deputy Governor, Prof. Ivara Esu, had made series of entreaties and held stakeholders’ meeting on the need for these communities to lay down arms and embrace lasting peace to no avail.

Esu was said to have visited the Orugbam people at Ekoli and pleaded with them to return home, promising to secure their land.

But in spite of the promises and pleas, the Orugbam people on Tuesday, May 12,202 about midnight, launched a reprisal attack on Ipene and Egbor villages and in-process shot about three persons and destroyed the property and fame crops.

A witness, Mr Boniface Inyang, said the invasion was to clear way for the Orugbam warring youths to finally invade Abawan village which is their main target of attack.

Inyang said the invaders cannot get straight to Abanwan without passing through these villages (Ipene and Egbor) thus the need to hit them first to clear the road for eventual invasion of Abawan.

The witness said a young man was shot at Ipene and two others at Egbor before they were repelled.

Another witness, Margaret Egbo 50, said following the attack, all the women and elderly men in Ipene and Egbor villages have fled to nearby Uwana in Afikpo North in Ebonyi state where they are currently taking refuge.

She said: “As I speak with you now, there is no woman and elderly man in Ipene and Egbor because Orugbam people came from Ekoli and attacked our communities.

“They say since they are not in their ancestral land, they will not allow us to stay in our own land. They are afraid of going to attack Abanwan because that is a big community and our communities are small.

“I can tell you that three persons were

shot and are critically wounded and have been taken to a place where the bullets can be removed. But I doubt if they can survive it from what we are hearing.”

A community leader, who simply gave his name as Emmanul Owai, blamed the Deputy Governor for insisting that Orugbam should return to their land.

Owai said: “It was wrong for the Deputy Governor to ask them to return without taking cognizance of the fact that they are trouble makers. They should have sworn an oath not to cause trouble in Erei land before they could be allowed to return.”

Twactong, the Permanent Secretary, Office of the State Security Service, in Governor’s Office, Dr Alfred Mboto, confirmed that three people were shot but that a team of mobile police has been dispatched to the area.

He said: “I just been rigged that three people have been shot. You know the problem in that area is intractable but a Mobile Police team has been dispatched to the area to keep the peace.” (Daily Sun)

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