One hundred and fifty people have been confirmed dead after a three-day war between two communities in Cross River over land. The Director-General of the Cross River State Emergency Management Agency, John Inaku, confirmed the development in an interview with newsmen in Calabar on Tuesday.
He said between the twenty-seventh and twenty-ninth of June, the people of Wanikade and Wanihem communities both in Yala Local Government Area of the state were involved in a communal war. He added that as a result of the bloody war, fourteen thousand people have been displaced, one thousand, two hundred and thirty-three houses were destroyed, while over one hundred and fifty persons have lost their lives.
Victims of the affected communities are now internally displaced and camping in over four camps in Benue State. Inaku said that the conflict has crippled farming and other socio-economic activities in the area. He, however, stated that Governor Ben Ayade has provided food and non-food items to the displaced people.
Inaku, who condemned the conflict, appealed to youths in both communities to lay down their arms and embrace peace. The Public Relations Officer of the Cross River State Police Command, Irene Ugbo, said that additional security operatives have been deployed to the warring communities to restore peace.
Join our twitter community :