Ijegu and Yabu communities in Yala LGA of Cross River are currently embroiled in disputes over a parcel of farm land. This acclaimed land in contention is a boundary between the two communities.
NEGROIDHAVEN garnered that ‘the crisis started on Saturday when two men from Ijegu went to cultivate a farmland as usual. As they were working on the land, some men from Yabu came to interrogate them’ the source said. While the quarelsome exchange of banter ensued, the Yabu men seized the farm tools of the Ijegu men.
One person, namely, Iji Agbaka from Ijegu-Ojor is confirmed dead. While few houses have been burnt.
This is against the backdrop of current communal crisis between Nko in Yakurr and Oyadama in Obubra LGA.
Meanwhile, following the outbreak of communal clash and hostilities between the two warring Ijegu and Yabu communities the lawmaker representing Ogoja/Yala Federal Constituency, Hon. Jude Ogbeche Ngaji has asked the Commanding Officer of 130 Battalion Nigerian Army, Godwin Ally Military Barracks Ogoja and the Nigerian Police to as a matter of urgency, intervene and restore order and peace in the affected communities to which the Commanding Officer of the barracks has deployed a detachment of officers and men of the Army to proceed to Ijegu and Yabu Communities to restore peace and order.
Also, the Cross River State Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Alphonsus Ogar Eba Esq has condemned Ijegu/Yabu communal clash.
The Chairman on Sunday condemned the recent communal clash between the people of Ijegu and Yabu. In a statement released by his Special Assistant on media, Egbara Emmanuel, the Chairman cautioned the communities to eschew violence.
Eba described the situation “as sad and regrettable” that the two communities that had co-existed for decades needed to take arms against each other. He said that the clash over land matters was uncalled for and urged for dialogue among the leaders of the communities toward resolving the issue through dialogue.
‘This is man’s inhumanity to man. It is disheartening that this kind of thing will be happening in our society; it’s so shocking’, Eba said.
