Shell Creek Crisis: Ibibio Gives SSG, Mbo Paramount Ruler, Ors 7-Day Ultimatum To Quit Uyo … As Eteidung Ebong Pleads For Calm
By UbongAbasi Ise
As killings continue to go
unabated at Shell Creek, a town on the Nigeria-Cameroun border, surviving
settlers of the troubled area that are of Uyo and Uruan extraction, have
ordered Oro indigenes residing in Uyo metropolis to leave within seven days as
they may likely avenge the death of their kinsmen allegedly brought about by
Asanwana militants from Mbo local government area.
Speaking with our
correspondent yesterday, Chief Edet Bassey, an Ibibio leader at Shell Creek,
said since all calls put to the state government for intervention falls on deaf
ears, they are likely to take laws into their hands as they would do everything
to ensure that Oro people, including the Secretary to the State Government, Mr.
Emmanuel Ekuwem, and Mbo Paramount Ruler, Ovong Edet Okon Isemin,
leave Uyo since their Oro kinsmen have decided to make their lives unbearable
in a former Nigerian community that is now part of Cameroun.
Chief Bassey claimed that over
100 lives have been lost in a two-week old crisis, while several others have been
injured and are receiving treatment at BIR Soldiers Hospital in Abana at the
instance of the Camerounian government.
The militants are reportedly
attacking the residents of the community on grounds that the settlers have been
paying levies to the Camerounian government instead of Mbo which purportedly
owns the place.
Also speaking with our
correspondent, Eteidung Edem Ebong, the Village head of Ifa Ikot Akpan in Uyo
local government area, bemoaned the sad situation at Asanwana where over 100 of
his people engaging in their legitimate business were murdered and many of them had their homes and
properties worth millions of naira destroyed in one fell swoop.
Eteidung Ebong call on the
state government to intervene in this crisis to prevent it escalating to the tribal
clash.
Meanwhile the office of the
Deputy Governor, in a statement signed by its Chief Press Secretary, Ekikere
Umoh, has dispelled the allegations that “the killings and wanton acts of arson
and destruction of property of Akwa Ibom indigenes living at the Shell Creek in
Cameroun was carried out by Cameroonian authorities.”
But the statement has
acknowledged that the attack was masterminded and executed by a local militia
operating in the Shell Creek area by the name Asanwana, and purportedly backed
by a local chieftain.
The statement further has it
that discreet investigations that have been corroborated by affected returnees,
indicates the killings and burning of Akwa Ibom indigenes property at the
Idiaabatu fishing settlement in Cameroun was the result of the heightening of a
prolonged feud between two indigenous groups.
According to press release,
the Deputy Governor, Mr. Moses Ekpo has requested the Chairman of Uyo and Uruan
local government areas whose indigenes form the bulk of the victims to reach
out to the affected persons and furnish the office with appropriate information
on the matter.
©The Sensor
Newspaper
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