CALABAR— TWO persons were beheaded, weekend, following the renewed clash between the youths of Ochon in Obubra Local Government Area and their Ofutop counterparts in Ikom Local Government Area, all in Cross River State.
The clash, which occurred inside farmland, saw the shooting to death of two youths said to be from Ochon and their heads removed by their assailants.
A youth in the area, Donald Enang, told Vanguard that peace was restored two weeks ago after fierce fighting between both communities, which led to the death of many youths and destruction of houses and it was thought the peace agreement negotiated by leaders would last but that was not to be as it was broken, weekend, with the shooting and beheading of the two youths.
“Fighting has moved from the towns and along the Ikom-Calabar highway to the farms and forests. A lot of cocoa plantations have been destroyed and plundered and other crops such as rice, cassava and yams set on fire,” Enang stated.
He said the situation has made it difficult for people to go to their farms and called on the authorities to do something before more havoc is wrecked in the area.
“The Army is stationed along the highway while the youths are now committing a lot of destruction in the farms and people are scared to go to their farms because any one who ventures to get to his or farm is shot to death,” he added.
The Ochon community and their Alesi and Ofutop neighbours have in the past few years been engaged in recurring inter-communal warfare, which has led to the death of many persons, including innocent road users along the Ikom-Calabar highway.
The conflict escalated last month and efforts were made to restore peace when leaders intervened and both communities reached a peace agreement but the peace does not seem to be holding.
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