With a heavy heart, deep concern, and a sincere commitment to peace, I lend my voice to the renewed communal crisis between our beloved Ugep and Idomi communities in Yakurr Local Government Area of Cross River State.
I speak first as a son of Ugep, but also as a son of Yakurr, a stakeholder in the future of our people, and someone who recognises the deep human, cultural, social, marital, economic and historical connections between Ugep and Idomi. We are not strangers. We are neighbours. We are relatives. We are friends. We are in-laws. We share markets, schools, roads, farms, marriages, memories, griefs, hopes and a common destiny.
Therefore, when Ugep is troubled, Idomi cannot truly be at peace. When Idomi is wounded, Ugep cannot truly rejoice. The tears of one community will eventually become the burden of the other. No boundary line, no farm path, no parcel of land, and no historical grievance should become more valuable than human life, community stability and the future of our children.
I therefore call for calm, restraint, wisdom and responsible leadership from all sides.
This is not the time for inflammatory statements, retaliation, provocation, rumour-mongering, social media incitement or the careless use of words that may push our young people into avoidable destruction. This is the time for elders to rise, leaders to lead, government to govern, institutions to act, youths to reason, and all persons of goodwill to protect the future of Yakurr.
The unresolved boundary and land-related grievances between Ugep and Idomi have lingered for too long. The recurrence of crisis shows clearly that temporary interventions, emergency meetings and security deployments, though necessary in the short term, are not enough, and never will be. What is now required is a transparent, lawful, technically sound, historically informed and development-oriented resolution process that brings finality, justice, peace and dignity to both communities.
My Appeal To The Cross River State Government
I respectfully commend the Cross River State Government for the steps already taken to calm tensions, restore order and initiate processes towards boundary demarcation. However, I must respectfully state that government must now move beyond reactive crisis management to a permanent peace and boundary-governance framework.
The primary responsibility of government is the protection of lives, property, peace, justice and development. Section 14(2)(b) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria provides that “the security and welfare of the people shall be the primary purpose of government.” This imposes a moral, political and constitutional burden on every tier of government to ensure that no community is left to descend repeatedly into violence over unresolved boundary questions.
I therefore respectfully urge the Cross River State Government to consider the following urgent and long-term measures:
First, the government should sustain security presence in a professional, neutral and community-sensitive manner until confidence is restored.
Second, government should immediately constitute or activate a structured Ugep–Idomi Peace, Boundary and Development Committee involving the State Boundary Committee, National Boundary Commission, Surveyor-General’s office, Yakurr Local Government Council, traditional rulers, elders, women leaders, youth representatives, religious leaders and neutral technical experts.
Third, the government should ensure that any survey, demarcation or boundary decision is based on verifiable records, historical evidence, cadastral information, community testimonies, technical data and due process.
Fourth, the government should establish a clearly managed buffer zone where necessary, not as abandoned land that may generate fresh encroachment, but as a peace-development corridor.
Such buffer zones can be converted into shared-value assets under government control and community benefit. These may include agricultural demonstration farms, youth skills centres, peace parks, rural roads, security posts, markets, educational facilities, sports facilities, environmental conservation zones, or jointly supervised development projects. A disputed space should not remain a battlefield; it should be transformed into a symbol of shared prosperity.
Fifth, the government should document, gazette and publicly communicate the final resolution in a manner that both communities can understand, respect and reference in the future.
Peace without clarity is fragile. Demarcation without trust is dangerous. Development without justice is unsustainable.
My Respectful Appeal To His Excellency, The Deputy Governor Of Cross River State
I respectfully call on His Excellency, the Deputy Governor of Cross River State, Rt. Hon. Peter Odey, in his capacity as Chairman of the Cross River State Boundary Committee, to take full leadership responsibility for the long-term resolution of the Ugep–Idomi boundary crisis.
For clarity, the Deputy Governor’s role in this matter is not merely ceremonial. It is a statutory responsibility under the National Boundary Commission (Establishment) Act, 2006. Section 12 of the Act provides for the establishment of a State Boundary Committee in each State of the Federation, and Section 12(2)(a) provides that the Deputy Governor of the State shall be the Chairman of that Committee.
This means that boundary matters are not peripheral issues. They fall directly within the statutory architecture created to prevent, manage and resolve boundary disputes before they consume lives, property and the peace of communities.
I therefore respectfully urge His Excellency to personally drive a time-bound, transparent and technically credible resolution process for the Ugep–Idomi boundary question. The people need more than assurances; they need a structured process, clear milestones, documented outcomes, community confidence and final closure.
History will remember the leaders who allowed old wounds to fester, but it will honour the leaders who had the courage, wisdom and patience to heal them.
My Appeal To The National Boundary Commission
I respectfully call on the National Boundary Commission to treat the Ugep–Idomi matter with the seriousness, urgency and professionalism it deserves.
The National Boundary Commission was established to address boundary issues in Nigeria. Under the National Boundary Commission (Establishment) Act, 2006, the Commission is empowered to intervene in boundary matters, formulate policies and programmes on internal and international boundaries, and take necessary steps towards the implementation of resolutions on internal boundary disputes.
The Act also provides for an Internal Boundary Technical Committee, whose functions include dealing with internal boundary disputes with a view to settling them, defining and delimiting internal boundaries in accordance with appropriate instruments and documents, proffering solutions to internal boundary problems, promoting the development and effective management of internal boundaries, and making recommendations on boundary issues between States, Local Governments and communities where necessary.
I therefore respectfully urge the National Boundary Commission to work closely with the Cross River State Boundary Committee, the Surveyor-General’s office, Yakurr Local Government Council and the traditional institutions of Ugep and Idomi to ensure that the matter is resolved permanently, lawfully and peacefully.
Our communities do not need another temporary pause before the next eruption. They need finality. They need certainty. They need justice. They need peace.
My Appeal To Ugep And Idomi Leaders
To our traditional rulers, chiefs, elders, political leaders, opinion leaders, religious leaders, community leaders and educated elites from both Ugep and Idomi, this is a defining moment.
Leadership is not only proved when we defend our people; it is also proved when we restrain our people from actions that may destroy their future.
Our responsibility is not to inflame emotions, but to calm them. It is not to weaponise history, but to interpret it wisely. It is not to push young people into danger, but to protect them from becoming victims of the unresolved failures of previous generations.
Ugep and Idomi must be peaceful and stable for development to come. Yakurr Local Government Area hosts important institutions and opportunities, including the Federal Polytechnic Ugep and other public and private investments that can transform the future of our young people. But no investor, government agency, development partner, contractor, school, hospital, or business will thrive in an atmosphere of violence, fear and uncertainty.
Every communal crisis drives away development. It destroys confidence. It weakens education. It disrupts farming. It discourages investment. It impoverishes families. It creates widows, orphans, displaced persons, bitterness and generational hatred.
Our leaders must therefore jointly declare that no grievance is greater than peace, no land is greater than life, and no victory is meaningful if it leaves both communities poorer, weaker and more divided.
I urge Ugep and Idomi leaders to establish a joint peace communication channel immediately. Let both sides jointly condemn violence, jointly discourage retaliation, jointly control rumours, jointly support security agencies, jointly guide the youths, and jointly insist on a lawful boundary resolution process.
My Appeal To Ugep And Idomi Youths
To the youths of Ugep and Idomi, I speak to you with love, respect and urgency.
Do not allow yourselves to be used by anyone as instruments of war, revenge, destruction or political relevance. No amount of provocation, anger, rumour, manipulation, intoxication, peer pressure, false bravery or instigation from bad and evil-minded people should make you see violence as a solution.
War is not courage. Burning homes is not strength. Attacking farms is not justice. Destroying property is not honour. Taking lives is not victory. Retaliation may feel powerful for a moment, but it can destroy a community for generations.
Communal conflict brings many evils. It leads to death, injury, arrests, imprisonment, displacement, school closures, hunger, fear, poverty, trauma, broken marriages, destroyed farms, abandoned businesses, ruined reputations, and endless cycles of revenge. It turns brothers into enemies and neighbours into suspects. It gives outsiders the opportunity to define us by violence rather than by our intelligence, culture, enterprise and dignity.
The most critical advice I give to every youth is this: do not inherit hatred; inherit wisdom. Do not fight a war created by unresolved leadership failures; demand a lawful resolution from the institutions responsible. Do not carry weapons; carry ideas. Do not spread rumours; spread calm. Do not answer provocation; report it. Do not gather for violence; organise for peace, documentation, dialogue, community service and development.
The future belongs to the youths, but only living, educated, disciplined and peaceful youths can inherit and build that future.
A Call For Truth, Justice, Restraint And Permanent Resolution
Let all killings, attacks, destruction and criminal acts be investigated by the appropriate security agencies without bias. Let justice be pursued through lawful means, not through mob action or retaliation. Let all persons with useful information assist the authorities. Let all community members resist the temptation to exaggerate, fabricate or circulate unverified claims.
At the same time, let government and boundary institutions recognise that peace cannot survive indefinitely where uncertainty remains. The boundary issue must be resolved conclusively, transparently and fairly.
We must also begin to think beyond boundary lines. We must ask: what kind of Yakurr do we want to leave for our children? A Yakurr known for crisis, or a Yakurr known for education, agriculture, enterprise, tourism, culture, scholarship, peace and investment? A Yakurr that loses opportunities because of fear, or a Yakurr that attracts development because of stability
Ugep and Idomi have the capacity to become examples of reconciliation if we choose wisdom now.
My Final Word
I mourn with every family that has lost a loved one. I sympathise with every person injured, displaced, frightened or affected by this crisis. I appeal to every grieving heart not to allow pain to become revenge. I appeal to every angry youth not to allow anger to become destruction. I appeal to every leader not to allow pride to become a barrier to peace.
Let Ugep and Idomi choose life. Let us choose dialogue. Let us choose law. Let us choose development. Let us choose the future.
The land will remain after all of us are gone. The boundary will remain after today’s anger has faded. But the lives lost cannot be replaced. The children traumatised cannot easily forget. The opportunities destroyed may not return.
Therefore, in the name of our shared humanity, our common Yakurr identity, our family ties, our children, our future and Almighty God, I call on all sides to sheath their swords, silence the drums of war, reject provocation, embrace peace, and submit fully to a lawful, transparent and permanent boundary resolution process.
May wisdom prevail over anger.
May peace return to Ugep and Idomi.
May Yakurr rise stronger from this painful moment.
And most importantly, may God bless and keep us all…together!
Engr. Wofai Ewa is a Cross Riverian and hails from Yakurr Local Government Area.
NB: Opinions expressed in this article are strictly attributable to the author, Engr. Wofai Ewa, and do not represent the opinion of CrossRiverWatch or any other organization the author works for/with.
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