By Onwa Ekor
The Cross River House of Assembly has condemned the violent communal clash between Boje and Isobendege communities in Boki local government area.
The House further demanded the immediate deployment of security forces to the area to prevent further escalation.
The resolution followed a motion of urgent public importance moved by Hon. Bette Philip Obi, member representing Boki I State Constituency.
The motion brought to the attention of the House the ongoing land dispute between the two neighboring communities, which has now snowballed into a deadly conflict.
According to Obi, the land in question was officially designated as government reserve land, hence cannot be legally claimed by either community.
He reported that the conflict has led to several casualties, including the beheading of a man from Boje, and warned that if immediate action was not taken, the violence could spiral into a full-scale communal war.
Speaker of the House, Rt. Hon. Elvert Ayambem, condemned the violence, describing it as “barbaric and unacceptable.”
He maintained that no community disagreement should ever result in bloodshed and tasked relevant authorities to act fast.
“This House will not tolerate the needless killing of innocent people,” Speaker Ayambem said, adding that, “we demand immediate security deployment to restore order, protect lives and property, and to send a strong message that violence has no place in our dear state.”
The House called on the Cross River government, the Nigeria Police Force, and other relevant security agencies to urgently deploy security personnel to Boje and Isobendege to restore peace and prevent further bloodshed.
The House also called for the arrest of Clan Heads, Youth and Women Leaders from both communities who are suspected to have played roles in the violence.
A full investigation into their involvement in the crisis was also demanded.
Other members of the House also condemned the clash and expressed concern about the rising trend of communal violence in parts of the state.
They called for stronger community engagement, legal enforcement and long-term conflict resolution strategies to prevent similar occurrences in the future.
