by crossriverwatch admin
The neighboring communities of Onyadama and Inyima in Obubra Local Government Area in the Central Senatorial District of Cross River State are embroiled in another round of crisis which may lead to inter communal conflict.
The people of Inyima are claiming that their Onyadama neighbors over the weekend invaded their farms and destroyed their crops, the same accusation that brought about the 2013 conflict which led to the killing of ten persons and razing of over 50 houses including churches and schools in Inyima.
The accusations by the Inyima people which is contained in the petition forwarded to the Cross River State Police Commissioner, Mr Kola Sodipo has led to the invitation of three Onyadama clan heads and the member representing Obubra 2 in the Cross River State House of Assembly, Hon Moses Abeng Onor by the police to Diamond Hill, the State Police headquarters for interrogation.
CrossRiverWatch investigations reveal that the petition by the Inyima community points accusing finger on Hon Onor and the clan heads as being the brains behind the recent invasion of their farmlands by the Onyadama people in order to start another inter communal conflict now that the farming season is at hand.
Chief Osopong, one of the heads invited for interrogation told CrossRiverWatch that the state government should create a buffer zone between Onyadama and the Inyima people to avoid the frequent clashes in the area. “There is nothing we have not done to ensure peace between us and the Inyima people and since they are not keen about living in peace with us they should relocate or government should create a buffer zone between us”.
Fuming, Chief Osopong said when the Inyima people reported the invasion of their farms, the soldiers guarding the conflict area went to the area and inspected the farms that were invaded and found out that the Onyadama people are not responsible for the invasion. “The soldiers went there and discovered that we are not the ones responsible for the destruction of the crops in Inyima farms but they would not believe because they have already made up their minds that we are the ones”.
A source at the State Police Command said the conflict between the two communities has been on and off and that the chiefs and Hon Moses Abang Onor who incidentally is the Leader of the Cross River State House of Assembly were invited to “give statements while we carry out investigations because we do not want another outbreak of hostilities in that area”.
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