The Definitive Ebom Position: Non-Contiguity And Support For Peaceful Alternative Resettlement
Ebom seeks neither perpetual hostility nor confrontation with Ebijakara. However, the bitter lessons of over a century of recurrent clashes, culminated by the atrocities of 2006, 2018, and 2019, have established an incontrovertible imperative: the physical contiguity of Ebom and Ebijakara as immediate residential neighbours must be permanently discontinued to protect human life.
Our definitive position is anchored upon:
A. The Principle of Non-Contiguity: Conflict Prevention, Not Animosity:
Over a century of joint habitation has conclusively proven that direct spatial contiguity between both settlements creates an inescapable cycle of friction, boundary skirmishes, mutual suspicion, and bloodshed.
When communities share common backyards, farm paths, and village junctions without natural barriers, minor personal quarrels—such as the youth scuffle of 10th January 2006—inevitably spiral into full-scale war, arson, and loss of life within hours. To attempt to force both communities back into immediate contiguity is to set the stage for future carnage.
B. Ebom Is Not Opposed to Resettlement
Ebom places on official record that our rejection of residential contiguity does not translate to opposition to Ebijakara’s rehabilitation or right to exist. The Cross River State Government may resettle Ebijakara in any other part or location of the State and not on any portion of Ebom land.
C. Respect for Apex Court Demarcations
The Cross River State Government and the National Boundary Commission must respect the inviolable pronouncements of the 1964 Supreme Court Judgment (FSC.323/62), which affirmed Ebom’s exclusive customary title over Etumapai and validated our south-western boundary at the original Falk Pillar No. 1 stump.
CONCLUSION AND PRAYERS
True peace cannot be coerced through street protests, political lobbying, media manipulation, or the falsification of judicial transcripts. The facts remain unassailable thus:
1. In spite of being the aggressors, Ebijakara has never seen reason to be contrite and show remorse for the evils they have perpetrated against Ebom. Instead, they have sought to rewrite history, twist the narratives and portray themselves as the victims.
2. Ebijakara has their origins from the Abiriba people of Bende in the current Abia State, South East geopolitical zone of Nigeria.
3. Ebijakara (Aberiba) became settlers on Ebom land when Ebom people accepted and accommodated them because of their trade – being blacksmiths and producers of farm implements used by Ebom and other nearby Bahumono communities. During this period, they were paying tribute to Ebom.
4. In furtherance of their expansionist tendencies, Ebijakara people, from 1911-2014 have habitually litigated against Ebom without success.
5. Ebijakara people are indoctrinated from birth to have hatred and bitterness against Ebom and our people.
6. As a result of this indoctrination, they are often aggressive and confrontational towards Ebom even without provocation.
7. In executing their evil plan against Ebom, Ebijakara had, prior to 11th January 2006 evacuated their women, children and elderly to neighbouring communities before invading Ebom for four uninterrupted days. It was only when Ebom began to defend themselves on the 5th day that they retreated and voluntarily abandoned the land.
8. A former Chairman of Abi Local Government Council, Hon. Eko Atu, who was a first responder to the scene witnessed first hand the atrocities committed by Ebijakara when they invaded Ebom on 11th January 2006.
9. All peace and resettlement efforts proposed and initiated by former Governors Donald Duke, Liyel Imoke and Ben Ayade were all rejected by Ebijakara thereby stalling any progress in their finding a new home.
10. For over 100 years, Ebom community has not known peace due to the belligerent and confrontational behaviour of the Ebijakara people as has been exhaustively mentioned previously.
11. Ebom community needs a peaceful, friendly and conducive environment to carry on their daily lawful activities which is not guaranteed with Ebijakara as a neighbor.
12. In 1888, the Scottish Presbyterian records of Rev. Hugh Goldie recognised Ebom as an ancient, autonomous riverine community, with no independent entity called Ebijakara on the map.
13. On 2nd June 1932, Ebijakara’s foundational patriarch, Chief Iwara of Aberiba, formally confessed in an official petition to the Resident of Ogoja Province that his ancestors intended to obtain the land adjoining Ebom by CONQUEST from the Eboms.
14. In 1920 and 1932, British colonial district officers officially certified that Ebom settled on the land long before Aberiba arrived.
15. In 1964, the Supreme Court of Nigeria in FSC.323/62 varied lower court orders in favour of Ebom on the Falk boundary stump and legally cemented Ebom’s title to *Etumapai
16. In 2006, the Cross River State Judicial Commission of Inquiry under the Chairmanship of Hon. Justice Sylvester A. Obi (Rtd) found that Ebijakara ignited the war by attacking Ebom on 11th January 2006, murdered unarmed peace emissaries, and operated ritual sacrifice shrines.
17. Successive Governors and the Chief Judge of Cross River State have confirmed that forced residential proximity between both communities is impossible and unreasonable.
18. Ebom does not want a return of Ebijakara as a contiguous neighbour, precisely to ensure that hostilities do not recur and avert a potential genocide.
PRAYERS:
1. We pray the Cross River State Government to consider the valid concerns raised by Ebom against being forced to live in contiguity with Ebijakara.
2. We pray and appeal to the Cross River State Government to seek an alternative location outside Ebom land for the resettlement of Ebijakara.
3. We pray the relevant security agencies to re-arrest and prosecute the mercenaries, arms suppliers, and militant leaders who were identified in Chapter Five of the 2006 Judicial Commission of Inquiry Report.
BIBLIOGRAPHY, ARCHIVAL SOURCES, AND AUTHORITIES CITED
A. Primary Colonial Archival Records (National Archives of Nigeria — Enugu & Calabar)
1. Petition of Chief Iwara of Aberiba to the Resident of Ogoja Province (Appendix 2): Formal Petition dated 2nd June 1932, addressed to The Honourable, The Resident, Ogoja Province, Through the District Officer, Obubra Division, Obubra Hill, regarding Suit No. 1/1927 (Okpata of Ebom v. Chief Iwara of Aberiba). Certified True Copy issued by the National Archives of Nigeria, File Ref. AB/28-20/11.
2. Obubra District Officer’s Despatch (1920): Official Dispatch Letter from the District Officer, Obubra District, to the Resident Provincial Officer, Ogoja Province, dated 7th July 1920, reviewing the 1911 Ediba Native Court Suit and the 1917 Removal Order.
3. Colonial Administrative Memorandum on Settlement Priority (1932): Official Memorandum by British Administrative Officer W. B. Macpherson, Obubra Division, dated 23rd September 1932.
4. Colonial Administrative Memorandum on Settlement Priority (1932): Official Memorandum by the Resident Officer, Ogoja Province, dated 21st December 1932.
5. British Military Expeditionary Records (1896): Field Dispatch Reports and River Navigation Maps of Captain Runpell, Political and Military Expedition Officer, British Consulate, Old Calabar (Operations against Ediba, Upper Cross River, 1896).
6. Calabar Provincial Office (CALPROF) Files: Intelligence and Native Court Inspection Reports on the Bahumono/Ediba/Obubra Native Court Districts (1911–1935).
B. Judicial Decisions and Court Proceedings
Supreme Court of Nigeria (Lagos):
● Chief Edward Iwara v. Joseph A. Iriem (Suit No. FSC.323/62, Judgment delivered on Friday, 24th April 1964; coram: Sir Adetokunbo Ademola CJN, Sir Lionel Brett JSC, John Idowu Conrad Taylor JSC). [Reported as Appendix III to the 2006 Judicial Commission Report].
Supreme Court of Nigeria (Southern Provinces / Calabar Division):
● Chief Okpata of Ebom v. Chief Iwara of Aberiba (Suit No. 1/1927, Judgment delivered on 16th March 1932 by Carey, J.).
● Motion for Enforcement in Suit No. 1/1927 (Ruling delivered in 1934).
● Suit No. 14/1933 (Ebom v. Aberiba).
Supreme Court Sitting at Afikpo:
● Chief Okpata of Ebom v. Aberiba (Suit of 1913, coram: A. F. C. Webber, J., directing demarcation of boundary pillars).
Provincial Court of Eastern Nigeria (Ediba / Obubra):
● Chief Ewara of Aberiba v. Chief Enyi Awara of Lower Igonigoni (Suit No. 4/1925, coram: W. B. Macpherson, Provincial Officer).
High Court of Eastern Region of Nigeria (Enugu Division):
● Ebom v. Aberiba (Consolidated Cross-Actions, 1961, per Palmer, J.).
● Suits No. E69/59 and E10/60 (Records of Sworn Testimony of Elder Assenyi Ibe regarding annual customary tribute payments).
High Court of Cross River State (Ugep Judicial Division):
● Elder Francis Eremi & Ors. v. Attorney-General of the Federation, Cross River State Government & 51 Ors. of Ebom (Suit No. HUG/49/2010, dismissed in 2014 per Michael Edem, J. [later Chief Judge of Cross River State]).
Ediba Native Court:
● Okpata of Ebom v. Aberiba (Suit No. 18/1913, dismissing Aberiba’s claim of right).
● Suit No. 2/1917 (Native Council Order restricted to Okpata Amoramo).
● Ewara of Aberiba-Ebom v. Okpata of Ebom (Case No. 1/1914).
C. Official Government Commission Reports and Inquiries
Report of the Judicial Commission of Inquiry into Hostilities between Ebom and Ebijakara Communities in Abi Local Government Area (Volume 1): Main Report and Recommendations submitted to His Excellency Donald Duke, Governor of Cross River State, May 2006 (Hon. Justice Sylvester A. Obi [Rtd], Chairman; Brig-Gen. Bassey Asuquo [Rtd], Barr. Paul Etiko, Chief Iya Nya Mbuk, Mr. Innocent Adie, Barr. [Mrs] Geraldine Akpet-Ekanem, Members).
Cross River State Government Official Gazette / White Paper (2007): White Paper on the Report of the Judicial Commission of Inquiry into the Ebom-Ebijakara Communal Hostilities.
Memoranda Submitted to the 2006 Judicial Commission:
● Memorandum No. 2: Immediate and Remote Causes of Dispute Between Ebom and Ebijakara Communities, submitted by E. E. Irem, Esq., for Ebom Community.
● Memorandum No. 7: Osomareton (Truth), submitted by Sirr-Tom Okina (documenting colonial intelligence reports, 1896 Runpell expedition, and administrative proceedings).
Cross River State Peace and Mediation Committee Records (2005): Proceedings and Minutes of the Ebom/Ebijakara Mediation Committee chaired by Chief Owali Ilem.
Administrative Panel on Reconciliation, Rebuilding, and Reconstruction of Bahumono (2019): Chaired by Senator Victor Ndoma-Egba, SAN.
D. Published Historical and Anthropological Literature
Goldie, Rev. Hugh (1890; 2nd ed. 1901): Calabar and Its Mission. Edinburgh: Oliphant, Anderson and Ferrier. (Documenting Upper Cross River exploration, first mission establishment at Ebom in 1888, and appointments of pioneer Christian teachers).
Waddell, Rev. Hope Masterton (1863): Twenty-Nine Years in the West Indies and Central Africa: A Review of Missionary Work and Adventure, 1829–1858. London: T. Nelson and Sons.
Partridge, Charles (1905): Cross River Natives: Being Some Notes on the Primitive Pagans of Obubura Hill District, Southern Nigeria. London: Hutchinson & Co. (Providing anthropological accounts of indigenous settlement clusters and colonial native administration).
Ofem Irem Okpokpo is a Cross Riverian, and writes from Ebom, Abi LGA.
Note: opinion expressed in this article is strictly attributed to the author Ofem Irem Okpokpo and does not represent the opinion of CrossRiverWatch or any other organization the author works for/with.
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