By CrossRiverWatch Admin
Information reaching CrossRiverWatch newsroom suggests that no fewer than three people have been injured after the Nigerian Army opened fire on youths in Alesi community of Ikom Local Government Area.
A communal clash broke out yesterday between the farming communities of Alesi and Ochon in Ikom and Obubra Local Government Areas respectively.
And, on Monday, following the arrival of the Nigerian Army at Alesi junction, a witness said the soldiers opened fire on the youths who were standing there with weapons.
The witness, name withheld, told CrossRiverWatch that all the injuries recorded from the Alesi community has been from the interference of the Nigerian Army.
“All the casualties we are recording are from the military intervention,” the witness said.
Narrating the incident, he continued; “When the military came, they stopped at Alesi junction seeing our people gathering there.
“I don’t know how it came about them exchanging live bullets. I don’t whether our boys fired back though they were standing with weapons too. But, the military just came and they were shooting.
“Even the ones we brought to the hospital, if you see the risk we took to take them from that place to the hospital, it wasn’t an easy thing.”
The trio are now receiving treatment at an undisclosed medical facility.
The two warring communities are within the area of operations of the 245 Recce Battalion, Afi barracks in Ikom.
The military formation has at least 11 different checkpoints between Yakurr and Ikom Local Government Areas while traveling along the Calabar – Ikom – Katsina-Ala highway.
When leaving southern Cross River, the first checkpoint is before Ugep community. The second is at the Sermatech yard before Nko. Both are in Yakurr.
The third is at the Obubra junction. Fourth is at the Sermatech old yard before St. Brendan’s junction while the fifth is just before the Ochon community, all in Obubra.
The sixth is located after Alesi. The seventh is at a burrow pit near Okuni. The eight is just before the Ikom bridge. The ninth is at the Steadyflow private university after Nde. The tenth is just after the Afi barracks and the eleventh is before Mbok junction, all in Ikom.
A twelfth checkpoint within Ikom town just before the Cross River State Waterboard reservoir only operates at night.
As at press time, it remained unclear why the Army formation was involved in an internal security situation and why it has so many checkpoints.