At least 10 people have been killed in communal clashes between Usumutong and Ediba communities in Abi Local Government Area of Cross River State. Scores from both communities also sustained serious injuries.
According to Thisday, an eyewitness said trouble started on Friday, November 19th, following allegation that youths from Ediba had gone to a land in dispute between both communities when a funeral ceremony was ongoing in Usumutong.
"They are still quarrelling over a piece of land. They are saying that the last time there was a conflict, the Usumutong people inflicted so much casualties on them, so they were looking for an opportunity to strike back and did so on Friday. It was a revenge attack.
"The people of Usumutong who suffered the attack are planning a counterattack from what I am hearing because it is like today (Monday) is the market day of the Ediba people. It is actually a sad situation because the two communities are brothers and sister. There is no difference between them and they are just killing themselves like that. It is just animalistic. In this age of civilisation people are still doing such."
An account from another anonymous source from area stated that the recent war had broken out due to suspicion that an Ediba youth who was a cyclist was attacked on Friday and murdered by some gunmen suspected to be persons from Usumutong.
Some of the young men killed have been identified as Fashion, William, Otabuyina, and Fatun, all from Usumutong.
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