In Cross River State, where diversity thrives in language and culture, a shadow looms over communities. Amidst the rich tapestry of languages spoken in the state, conflicts have erupted, casting a pall of violence and fear. The escalating communal tensions over the strife between communities and inter-state boundaries have led to bloodshed and displacement. NSA GILL reports that the state stands at a crossroad, where dialogue and understanding might pave the way for lasting peace. but the journey ahead is fraught with challenges and calls for urgent intervention.
Nigeria is one of the most-linguistically diverse countries in the world, with over 500 languages and dialects being spoken among its population of over 200 million, according to experts. Of the languages, Cross River State has four – English, Efik, Bekwarra, and Ejagham. The most spoken of these languages is Ibibio, which, together with its written cousin, Efik, according to linguistic gatekeepers, has some 3,500,000 speakers.
This makes the state one with the highest number of dialects, totalling 60, most of them spoken within the Central and Northern Senatorial districts of the state.
However, as there are numerous numbers of languages spoken or dialects recorded, so also are quite a few communal conflicts; most of which are often caused by land disputes. The conflicts are sometimes inter-communal, other times intra-communal and at the border communities.
There are also records of inter-state boundary conflicts. The State Government has handled conflicts with its Ebonyi State, Benue State and Akwa Ibom state counterparts. The communal crisis between the Tiv people of Benue State and the Yache community of Yala Local Government Area of Cross River State has claimed up to seven lives.
According to our correspondent, the conflict began over farmlands and boundaries between the two communities. Some source who spoke to our correspondent in confidence said: “The incident happened on Sunday. Apart from those who were confirmed dead, other victims, including women and children from both sides, were seriously injured, some with serious machete cuts on foreheads and legs.”
Augustine Odey Adula, who is a community leader in Yache told The Nation that they were in a church service on Sunday when the mayhem began. He said: “A few of our youths went to ask the Tiv settlers why they have refused to pay royalties as usual for settling on our lands. The Tiv people seized one of our youth; and beat him mercilessly so much so that he died immediately. That was the cause of the reprisal. But they were prepared. They attacked and killed seven of our people and burnt 15 houses.”
Our source further stated that the Tiv people had actually been paying royalties on the land but decided to stop for no reasonable reason. The Secretary of Yala and Cross River North Elders’ Forum, Leonard Anyogo, a lawyer who is indigenous to Yache, also confirmed the killing in a chat, even as he added that security agencies have stepped into the matter. He also said the Deputy Governors from Benue and Cross River states had earlier met in the same community where they appealed for calm as they worked hard to find solutions to the crisis.
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Anyogo further said there has not been a clear-cut boundary demarcation, adding that Tiv people had settled on said land for so many years.
According to Anyogo, the land in dispute is where the boundary of the then Southern and Northern Protectorates was, adding that it was a Yache land.
When our correspondent contacted the Police Public Relations Officer of the State Command, Irene Ugbo, she said a report on the matter was yet to be received, even as she assured the people that the Command would have a meeting on the issue shortly.
Another source, who pleaded anonymity, said: “The Tiv settler is alleged to have breached a decades-old land agreement that brought about violent conflicts that have claimed several lives and caused wanton destruction.”
Five people had reportedly been beheaded as reprisal killings resumed last week between the Tiv people of Benue State and the Ijiegu-Yache of the Yala Local Government Area of the state. A Tiv leader in the community, Chief Jacob Uswa claimed in a phone interview that many others have been maimed. According to him, the Yache boys beheaded theirs when they went to their farms to harvest cassava.
“On Sunday, October 8, they attacked and beheaded three of our boys in their farms where they had gone to harvest cassava. Two others were also killed on another farm. They displayed the heads before their Yache people. The Yache boys are all over the bushes to attack us,” he said.
Augustine Adula, a youth leader in the Ijiegu-Yache community, said they had to defend themselves when the Tiv militia attacked them on their farms. He alleged that the Tiv boys go to their farms to harvest their yields and attack their women and farmers.
“We have suffered incessant attacks from those Tiv settlers. They invaded our community; wearing military camouflage and sometimes they would ambush us. As a result, our boys no longer go about their businesses and schools and have taken positions in the bushes to defend our land and people, so that they can block the Tivs when they come surreptitiously,” Adula said.
According to him, the situation has made life very difficult for them, adding that markets and schools have not opened due to deep-seated fears for their lives. The cause of the hostilities is said to be the refusal by the Tivs to continue to pay royalties on the land they settled on. This led to killings and destruction of houses on both sides. On their part, the Tivs alleged that having settled in the community for over 100 years, they are more indigenous to Cross River than Benue State.
Besides the conflict with the Tivs, other disturbing conflicts broke out in the Central Senatorial District of Cross River State. It is an inter-communal conflict between two Ovonum and Ofatura in the Obubra Local Government Area. Many have been killed and no fewer than 35 houses have been destroyed.
Adaga Asel, a concerned analyst, said: “In the past 10 years, there is hardly any Obubra community that has not engaged in hostilities with its neighbours where lives were lost, properties destroyed and many became refugees.”
He said further: “For example, Owakande against Obubra Urban, Ababene against Nyametet, Ochon against Alessi, Ofatura against Apiapum, Ovonum against Ofatura. Onyadama against Nko and the list goes on. One is not suggesting here that one should remain silent in the face of provocation but, most times, dialogue solves disagreements and misunderstandings far faster and better than resorting to violence.”
The Ovonum and Ofatura current conflict is caused by a dispute over a parcel of land at the farming area called Plantation. The conflict has left thousands of people homeless following the destruction of residential houses and farmlands. The Nation gathered that in April this year, there was a conflict between the two communities which left many dead and countless houses destroyed. On October 1, just two weeks ago, the misunderstanding arose again at the plantation and a fight began between youths of both communities. “The crisis got to the climax when youths from both sides got home and narrated their experience at the Plantation to their elders and at about midnight, there was violence between the two communities,” a resident of the area, Elom Obongha said.
He said throughout the night, there was hostility between the two communities and, by the time soldiers were dispatched to the area by dawn, a lot of havoc had been inflicted on both sides. “By the time the soldiers arrived, a lot of damage had been done and now thousands of people are now taking refuge at Matter Misericordia Catholic Church.”
A member representing the area in the Cross River State House of Assembly, Egbe Abeng, said he had no hand in the conflict. “I tell you that the recent peace enjoyed in the community is because of my intervention. When I got a call about the outbreak of the recent problem, I moved quickly from Yala Local Government Area where I was on an oversight function down to my community and tried to mobilise the security to intervene. The destruction is on both communities and with the help of Governor Bassey Out, a detachment of soldiers are stationed there to restore peace.
“Therefore, I call on the government to interrogate the leadership of both Ofatura and Ovonum because they need to find lasting peace to this problem. I am a peacemaker and Ovonum people voted for me and contributed to my emergence. So, why should I sponsor a war against them?”
In an emotion-laden tone, an Ovonum man, Enang lamented: “My community has been decimated and our property destroyed. Over 3,000 Ovonum people are now refugees in their own land. We are now hibernating at a Catholic Church with no food and no water to even drink. We call on the government and non-government organisations (NGO) to come to our aid before we suffer an outbreak of epidemic. We have not witnessed this kind of destruction in our community before.”
Mr. Justine Ovat, who is indigenous of Ofatura said: “The recent crisis is unfortunate. The Adon Kingdom made peace after the conflict in April and while we were still trying to settle down, another crisis occurred, which culminated in the destruction of houses in both communities. I call on all leaders to come to a roundtable to find lasting solutions to these conflicts.”
