Two people have been killed and several others missing following renewed boundary hostilities between the riverine community of Oku Iboku in Itu local government area of Akwa Ibom state and Ikot Offiong, a neighbouring community in Odukpani local government area of Cross River state.
The deputy speaker of Akwa Ibom state House of Assembly, who represents Itu state constituency, Hon. Kufre Abasi Edidem, said the fresh clash of assailants allegedly from Ikot Offiong resulted in the death of two persons, while the whereabouts of some residents was still unknown.
While canvassing for a standby Navy base and frequent gunboats patrol in the creeks, the lawmaker, who presented the demands under “Matter of Urgent Public Importance” during plenary lamented that his kinsmen and women had been killed.
Edidem also stated that properties were destroyed along with several missing persons in the intractable crisis.
He said the armed hoodlums stormed the coastal community and launched the attack on local fishermen, farmers, and residents on Monday, at about 7am.
Edidem told the assembly that the crisis stemmed from an age-long boundary dispute and pleaded with the House to liaise with the state government, the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) and other agencies to send relief materials to the affected families to ameliorate their sufferings.
However, members unanimously condemned the killings and destruction of properties, describing the incident as heart-breaking while saying time has come to find a solution to it.