By Kelvin Ololo
A disagreement over a missing bunch of plantain has ended in tragedy, leaving two middle-aged men dead after a brutal machete confrontation in Akpap-Okoyong community, Odukpani Local Government Area of Cross River State.
The Guardian online reported that the fatal clash occurred at the weekend when suspicion and anger spiralled out of control over the alleged theft from a local farm. An eyewitness, Ete Mma, said trouble began after one of the victims, Effiong, openly complained that plantain had been harvested from his farm without his consent.
According to the account, Effiong was later told by another resident that the second victim, Edet, had been seen coming from the direction of the farm carrying a bunch of plantain. The accusation quickly degenerated into a heated argument and then a violent fight, with both men allegedly arming themselves with machetes and inflicting critical injuries on each other.
Community members rushed the bleeding men to a nearby health center, but both reportedly died after failing to receive adequate medical attention. The health facility was said to be poorly equipped to handle the severity of the injuries sustained.
The double death has cast a pall over Akpap-Okoyong, with residents lamenting the ease with which minor disputes now escalate into lethal violence.
Confirming the incident, the Cross River State Police Public Relations Officer, SP Sunday Akata, told The Guardian that investigations were ongoing to unravel the circumstances surrounding the clash and to determine why the situation was not contained before it turned fatal.