BEVERLY HILLS, March 30, (THEWILL) – No fewer than seven indigenes of Ikpanya clan in Ibiono Ibom Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State have been reportedly killed after days of attacks launched by assailants from Ugbo community, Arochukwu in Abia State
THEWILL reports that the hostility is not unconnected to the protracted land dispute the two border communities waged for decades over a parcel of land demarcating Ugbo in Arochukwu and Ikpanya in Ibiono Ibom.
In the attack, which also left six houses razed and four persons missing, at least one female indigene of the Ikpanya community was reportedly gang-raped by the Ugbo invaders.
The clan head of the Ikpanya community, His Highness Chief Isaac Ononsin, who recounted his subjects’ ordeal, described the attack as unfortunate.
The clan head narrated: “Ikpanya shares boundaries with eight villages of Arochukwu in Abia state, but the persistent crisis is always with the one village, the Ugbo people, and it is always during farming season.
“The people of Ugbo will attack our people as they go to their farms. They will beat our women and chase them away, packing the palm fruits. These people have continued to trouble our people year in, year out.
“This time it was on the 8th of this month, when my people went to cut palm fruits as I lifted the ban on cutting of palm. They started cutting palm from the 6th. And on the 8th, when my people went to cut the palm, the Ugbo people went and beat them, destroyed the palm and burnt them.
“They arrested three boys and one girl, kept them in their village square, and I had to call the DPO in Ibiono, to inform him of what happened.
“After reporting the matter to the DPO, efforts were made to contact the DPO of Arochukwu. Days later, three persons were released with serious injuries. And it took the DPO in Ibiono Ibom, who obtained statements from them and took pictures of the victims, before he took them for medical attention.”
Ononsin lamented that authorities of Ibiono Ibom Local Government Council did not show commitment to alleviating the plight of the people.
He said: “I reported the matter to the Chairman of the local government council and he told me that they would have a security meeting, after which he would answer me. He didn’t say anything other than that. He has never visited the area, and there’s no police station around Ikpanya.
“I have been writing to the government, since the reign of the last clan head, we have been writing to the government to give us a police post, but none has come.”
He called on the government to come to the aid of victims of the clash by providing them with relief items.
Presenting the matter on the floor of the Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly, the Member representing Ibiono Ibom State Constituency, Hon. Godwin Ekpo, lamented the wanton killings and destruction of Ikpanya people by their neighbours.
He lamented that: “The people from Ikpanya clan in Ibiono Ibom are presently being intimidated and molested by the Ugbo people of Arochukwu in Abia State with a view of forcing them out of their ancestral land.”
The lawmaker in his prayer called on the Akwa Ibom State Emergency Management Agency to provide relief materials to the affected people.
He also called on the state government to deploy relevant security agencies to the area in order to provide security for the Ikpanya clan.
Speaking on the issue, police sources said they were aware of the case and were doing everything possible to bring the situation under control.
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