Map of Cross River State in South South Nigeria
By PATRICK ABANG Calabar –
Dr Mbang Akpama, an indigen of Nko Community in Yakurr LGA of Cross River State has lamented the ordeal in which the people of his community have being passing through in the hands of the military following a clash with Onyedama, a neighboring community.
He made the appeal on Wednesday while addressing journalists at the Ernest Etim Bassey Press Centre in Calabar, the Cross River State capital.
He said: “They (the soldiers) are arresting and killing some persons and introduced a reign of terror in the area. Women and children have abdicated their homes to take refuge in unknown locations, mostly in their farms, suffering the harsh effects of the associated weather with the rainy season”
Also speaking the former Minister of Niger Delta, Dr Usani Usani, said “While we appreciate the early intervention of the security institutions and the Nigeria Army in particular on the escalated conflict between our community (Nko) and Onyedama community, we nonetheless take exception to the way, manner, unethical and unprofessional way the crisis is being managed”.
” while we support every responsible and meaningful effort towards maintaining lasting peace in the area, we called on the military authority to stop this raid in the community.
According to the former minister, the occasional conflicts between these communities demand more precise actions beyond mere pronouncements and management.
“Indeed, preventive measures are more desired than palliatives.
“As a community, we cannot and will never organize any form of conflict against anyone or group of persons. We won’t even contemplate any attack on the military”
“We are aware of the allegations of some military personnel being attacked in the course of their duty to maintain peace and order in the ensuing conflict between the two communities”
” The military personnel had alleged though informally, that a soldier was shot at Nko and without giving room for investigations to be carried out and if possible fish out the culprit and hand him or her to authority. They decided to take revenge in a manner that could be termed callous, unprofessional and primitive”.
“It is however, regrettable that this military action in the community has largely rendered the entire indigenes of Nko homeless, beginning from Saturday, the 24th of June, 2022 to this moment. Carnage has been exercised in arson, rape and shooting at sight of persons. Beyond these, women have been thoroughly brutalized in very dehumanizing forms.
The security situation in Nko community has remained tense and fragile. For more four days running, six, (6) persons have been killed through shooting at sight and a lot more wounded, properties that cannot be quantified at the moment destroyed. The military personnel wrecked havoc on the local populace, killing helpless persons, arrested some persons and introduced a reign of terror in the area. Women and children have abdicated their homes to take refuge in unknown locations, mostly in their farms, suffering the harsh effects of the associated weather with the rainy season.
The Nigeria public is hereby requested to show empathy in form of providing welfare for the displaced homeless persons.
Besides, while we are not challenging the authority of government, it our opinion that the soldiers be stationed at the said boundary between the two communities”
” Again the four secondary schools of Nko are involved in ongoing NECO exams nation wide, they can’t, neither write the exams”.
“Our children generally, by this action have been denied, their right to education as they cannot continue their learning in the unsafe environment”.
“Again there are some aged men and women, pregnant and sick that have been abandoned in their homes devoid of care by their children”
“At this point, we the people of Nko remain eternally grateful to all the communities within our neighborhoods and beyond for the friendship and benevolence of accommodating our homeless kindred”.
“As we sued for peace, we implored our youth to remain calm, and not take laws into their hands”.
“while we plead with the governor, Prof Ben Ayade, the chief of army staff and government of president Muhammedu Buhari to prevail on the military authority to stop the carnage and killing of defenceless citizen and withdraw from the community”.
“we wish to state that as a people called on government to look into the matter immediately”
