By Obio Monday
About 20 persons, mostly women and children has been reportedly killed and properties worth millions of naira destroyed in a renewed communal war between the displaced people of Obomitiat and Idim Ndom in Odukpani Local Government of Cross River State.
Odukpani Daily gathered that the latest attack which started on Monday last week and lasted till Thursday was lunched by the people of Obomitiat. An indigene of Idim Ndom village who pleaded not to be named said " We've be hearing rumours of our community being attacked but we never took it serious since both communities had agreed during several peace meetings to live peacefully not until about 4am we started hearing gunshots. They killed about 14 persons, mostly women and children and a businessman from Idere village who came to buy fuel on Monday and destroyed almost all the houses in Idim Ndom. Then on Thursday, they came again, this time they killed 6 persons from Idim Ndom community.
Another source accused the people of Obomitiat of hiring mercenaries from neighbouring communities to aid in the destruction of Idim Ndom. He accused a certain politician from Obomitiat of sponsoring the attack. " As I speak to you now, I don't have a home. My house was completely burnt down. I don't even know the whereabout of my wife and children. Our community was completely sacked. This was a well planned and coordinated attack on our community as they took us by surprise, and the rain too on that day worsened the situation. I wish to call on government to come to our aid. Some of our people are currently taking refuge in Okurikang, some in Calabar".
Efforts made to reach the Police Public Relation Officer, Cross River State, DSP Irene Ugbo proved abortive as text messages sent to her were not replied as at the time of filing this report.
The two communities have been engaged in communal war for several decades which led to to the displacement of the people Obomitiat. Several effort to resolve the lingering crisis has so far proved abortive.
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