News: Fifteen injured and 130 displaced in land tussle - C’River

 No fewer than 15 persons sustained bullet wounds while about 130 others, including women and children, were displaced following land dispute between the people of Oyoba and Ihetazi communities in Yala Local Government Area of Cross River State.

Also destroyed were residential buildings, food stuff, economic trees and household property.

Narrating his experience to Southern City News on Tuesday, one of the affected victims in Oyoba village whose property was destroyed, Chief Christopher Okoko, said his community was attacked by their neighbor, Ihetazi, over land matter.

He said, “The attackers came on Saturday, January 23 at about 3pm when most of the villagers were in the community market, about a kilometre away and carried out the wanton destruction.”

According to Okoko, the invaders also destroyed sources of water such as streams and wells which, he claimed, were poisoned with chemicals, debris and rocks.

He said those who dared to challenge them were shot and wounded while the elderly, children and women were chased away from the village.

“Fifteen persons that sustained bullet wounds are presently being treated in various hospitals and clinics,” he said.

He described the attack as senseless and barbaric noting that they had lived as brothers over the years.

Also speaking, a youth in Oyoba community, Mr. Mathias Egede, described the invasion as an act of war.

He said the deliberate destruction of homes, farm products and food stuff was aimed at completely annihilating the Oyoba community.

Assessing the damage on Tuesday, the Director-General of Cross River State Emergency Management Agency, Mr. John Inaku, described the destruction as massive.

While expressing concern over the increasing level of internally displaced persons as a result of communal clashes in the state, the SEMA director-general urged peaceful co-existence among communities in the state.

Meanwhile, following the intervention of security forces, the situation has been brought under control.

Southern City News observed some men searching the rubbles and ashes of burnt houses for valuables that could be retrieved after the inferno.

When contacted, the state Police Public Relations Officer, Mr. John Eluu, confirmed the incident but said he had yet to get the detail of the communal clash.

“I heard there was a clash in these communities, but I do not have the details yet,” he said.

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