Twenty persons were feared killed in a fresh clash between Oku Iboku community in Itu Local Government Council Area of Akwa Ibom State and Ikot Offiong in Odukpani Local Government Council of Cross River State.
It was learnt that the clash started on Friday night with both sides using sophisticated weapons, responsible for the high number of casualties.
When the two communities clashed in December 2016, the member representing Itu Constituency, Idongesit Ituen told the House of Assembly that four persons lost their lives.
The lawmaker, who said the attack,
came unexpected, lamented that in 2005 the squabble was settled amicably and
peace agreement signed.
Ituen maintained that the recent
attack should be termed criminal because it occurred when the people of Oku
Iboku and adjoining villages were harvesting their crops.
According to him, after chasing away
the people away, they stole outboard engines anchored at the riverside and
their farm produce.
The Akwa Ibom Police Public
Relations Officer (PPRO), ASP Cordelia Nwawe confirmed the incident but was not
ready to confirm the casualty figure.
The PPRO of Cross River State, Irene
Ugbo said: “Yes we are aware, but there is no casualty. Our men are there. They
have been there since this morning (yesterday). The area is now calm.”
In Edo State, four persons have been
killed in cult-related incidents at the weekend.
A retired staff member of an oil
company was trailed by gunmen on Wire Road to Siluko, Benin City and shot in
the presence of his family. His son was hit in the process.
The state Police Public Relations
Officer, Moses Nkombe, confirmed the incident but dismissed speculations that
the killing was cult-related. He maintained that it could be an assassination.
He said that the son of the
deceased, who was hit, was responding to treatment while the wife was unhurt.
The police have also confirmed the
death of three persons, killed in two separate incidents.
In first incident, stray bullet
killed a woman when suspected cultists attacked a police station at Ibillo, in
Akoko-Edo Local Government Council.
They were said to have successfully
freed two of their colleagues who were detained over alleged rape.
The attackers were said to have
gained access to the police station by posing as relatives of the arrested
suspects and then started shooting sporadically.
Commissioner of Police, Haliru
Gwandu confirmed the incident, adding that some suspects have been arrested in
connection with the incident.
He also disclosed that more men have
been deployed to the affected police station to ensure such incident does not
occur again.
Source:Guardian
Tags
Society