A
communal clash over the killing of a young man by villagers from a
neigbouring village in Akwa Ibom state has led to the death of many
people.
*Photo used for illustrative purpose*
An alleged beheading of a young man by a chief hunter, purportedly
for the burial ceremony of a high chief, weekend, led to hostilities
between two neighbouring communities in Obubra Local Government Area of
Cross River State, which has left over 10 people dead and many houses
razed, reports Vanguard.
It was gathered that the conflict between the people of Ogwurude
and their Oyidah neighbours began when head hunters from Oyidah
community allegedly harvested the head of a young man which they
intended to use in the burial ceremony of a chief.
A resident, Clement Ekpe, said: “Some head hunters chased the
okada boy, who was returning from Oyidah Market with a lady and caught
up with him at Ogwurude Junction. They asked the lady to run into the
bush, killed the boy and cut off his head. “When the lady got home and
narrated what happened, some Ogwurude youths rushed to the junction,
where they found the headless body of the young man. They followed the
bloodstains on the road to Oyidah community.
“They informed Oyidah’s Village Head about the incident and
asked that those who carried out the act be brought out and handed over
to the police. “However, the Village Head could not produce the
perpetrators and that led to a reprisal attack that night from the
Ogwurude people.”
Another source, who could not confirm the exact number of people
killed in Oyidah, said as many as seven people died, but that two
persons from Ogwurude were killed in the fracas, while many houses were
set ablaze in both communities.
Mr. Jude Ngaji, Cross River State Security Adviser, said peace had
returned to the feuding communities with security operatives deployed to
the area, while efforts are on to hold meetings with leaders of both
communities to find lasting solution to the conflict.
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