August 24, (THEWILL) –Â Amazaba community in Eastern Obolo council area of Akwa Ibom State has accused her Ikot Akpan Udo neighbour, in Ikot Abasi, of deliberate attempt to scuttling ongoing moves by the state government to resolve a 14-year-long crisis between them.
The former community alleged that their representatives, as well as security agents were attacked by armed youths from Ikot Akpan Udo village during the visit of the White Paper Implementation Committee on Tuesday, August 16, 2022.
According to them, the attack by the neighbours was a serious threat to peace efforts aimed at bringing a lasting solution to the crisis and resettling them in their ancestral homes.
THEWILL recalls that Amazaba community and Ikot Akpan Udo village had engaged in a bloody boundary Crisis in 2008, following which the government ordered that they vacate their communities to forestall further bloodletting.
The administration of Governor Udom Emmanuel recently re-instituted moves towards brokering lasting peace between the warring communities and ensuring that they return to their ancestral homes.
However, in a statement on Tuesday, signed by the Chairman Amazaba Council of Chiefs, Chief Gugonte Nglass and the Chairman Amazaba Community Development Council, Elder Aaron Bibama, the Amazaba community alleged that Ikot Akpan Udo village was frustrating the peace efforts.
The statement reads, “The State Government White Paper Implementation Committee issued an invitation letter to meet with both communities at their town hall separately on Tuesday, 16 August, 2022, by 11 am and 2 pm respectively. The statement government delegation was at Ikot Akpan Udo village by 11 am for the interactive meeting.
“The people of Amazaba were led by the executive chairman of Eastern Obolo, Abraham Odion, the Paramount ruler, HRM Ubong Harry Etetor and some men of the Nigeria Police Force.
“On their way to Ayama village in Amazaba community, the venue of the meeting, they met with armed youths from Ikot Akpan Udo in hundreds coming to cause mayhem.
“The security men intervened and asked the local government chairman and others in the entourage to reverse their vehicles and return to Okoroette, the headquarters of Eastern Obolo, where the state government delegation came to meet with the Amazaba people for the interest of peace.
“The essence of the meeting scheduled by the White Paper Implementation Committee was for the needs assessment of government infrastructures affected by the civil disturbance of 2008.
“The Amazaba people not been happy with the development views Ikot Akpan Udo’s actions as a threat to peace. Nobody has the monopoly of violence and we vow that any further threat, attack and harassment will be vehemently resisted with full force.”
