Communities
have seriously clashed in Cross River following the death of a high
chief and the clamour to use a human head for his burial.
File photo used only for illustrative purpose
Serious fight has broken out between two neighbouring communities
in Obubra Local Government Area of Cross River State after a young man
was allegedly beheaded by a chief hunter, purportedly for the burial
ceremony of a high chief at the weekend.
According to Vanguard, the clash has left over 10 people dead and many houses razed.
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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