20 feared dead in Akwa Ibom; Cross River Clashes.

The heavy fighting held up travellers along the Calabar-Itu Highway for hours on Saturday, February 11 and was only eased when the Army arrived to drive the fighting youths away.

The Punch reports that the clash which was caused by a boundary dispute between people of Oku Iboku in Itu Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom and those of Ikot Offiong in Odukpani LGA in Cross River.

The Punch reports that in a ‘Save Our Soul’ letter signed by Chief Etim Bassey-Offiong on behalf of his people and published by Southern City News wants Buratai and Idris to investigate the activities of personnel deployed in the Itu end of the bridge closer to Ibawa Police Division in Akwa Ibom State.

The letter read in part: “The people of Oku-Iboku on January 16, 2017, crossed the bridge and attacked our people with dangerous weapons, killing some of us. On January 19, the Oku Iboku people caught one Bassey Ekpo from Eteheten village, who was returning from Port-Harcourt and killed him at Ayadeghe Bridge in the presence of the soldiers.

But spokesman of the Nigerian Army, 13 Brigade in Calabar Capt. Kayode Owolabi denied the allegations and insisted that the Army was on the ground to curb any occurrence of crisis between both communities.

“As I speak with you now, we just left the dispute area where our men are solidly on the ground. Our aim is to restore peace and not to take side with any community,” Owolabi said.

Not fewer than about 20 people have been reportedly killed in the clash between communities in Akwa Ibom and Cross River states since fightig began.