By Patrick Obia
Erei Cultural and Traditional Leaders, Abanwan Council of Elders in Biase Local Government Area of Cross River State, have accused trio-brothers of Ivara Esu, Walter Onnoghen and Nicholas Odum, Cross River State Deputy Governor (immediate past CJN and Paramount Ruler of Biase respectively) of “igniting full blown war” on Erei land and are still busy “fanning the embers of war” in Biase.
This was in a letter jointly signed and sent to the Governor by the Traditional Rulers of Ibini, Abanwan, Umolor, Egbor, Etana and Obun communities, appealing to Governor Ben Ayade for immediate removal of the issues of Erei Community from the hand of the Deputy Governor, Prof. Ivara Esu and set up a new Committee comprising of notable sons and daughters of Erei-isi-misi, to look into the problem and proffer solutions.
“We, the Chiefs and people of Erei can no longer continue to fold our hands and watch the clandestine and orchestrated mastermind of the ethnic cleansing of the Erei nation, with the tacit connivance of our supposed trio-brothers (Onoghen, Ejemot and Odum) behind the curtain and pulling the triggers.
“The trios have ignited a full blown war on Erei land and are still busy fanning the embers of war. The sworn enemies of Erei nation, the Ekoli-Edda, have found a footing in renegades from Urugban (Erei’s traitors) as the footstool and a spring board, to launch full scale war to claim Erei land, which they failed woefully to achieve during the Biafran war and the massacre of our brothers of Biakpan, Ikun and Etono what is now called (Black April),” extract from the letter.
Read the letter in full exclusively available to our newsroom:
Our newsroom is contacting the trio for comment.