A Pastor of a Pentecostal Church, Enang George Enang and one other, Ikarofem David William were at the weekend beheaded at Ebom community in Abi Local Government Area of Cross Rivers State.
It was gathered that there has been a communal clash between the Ebom Community and the Usumutong community over land which has lasted for over three decades.
A Police officer said that Pastor Enang and William were mistaken for Ebom people by Usumutong warriors as they were from another community, Asiga.
According to the senior Police officer who spoke on the condition of anonymity as he was not supposed to speak to the press, a soldier nearly lost his life as the warriors attempted to ambush him as he went on the spot assessment on the scene ,but his colleagues warned that if anything should happen to him, the community would be razed and he was allowed to go.
The people of Ebom at home and in the diaspora have, therefore, cried to President Muhammadu Buhari, Governor Udom Emmanuel and the Inspector – General of Police , Ibrahim Idris , to wade into the matter before the community would be wiped out. They have accused a retired senior military officer of supplying sophisticated arms and ammunition to the warriors who have been unleashing mayhem on them.
Ebom Development Union, led by Chief Item Esu Irem alleged that their community has lost over 50 prominent persons since 1971 that the community war started.
Item said : ” After the massacre of our people 39 years ago, a commission of enquiry was set up by the government and peace returned to the community . We were so happy until the senior retired Army officer returned to Usumutong and started recruiting warriors who have resumed hostilities and that is why we are calling on President Buhari , Governor Udom and IGP idris to do something urgent before we are wiped out .
The beheading of Pastor Enang and Mr. William is an indication that we are in fresh trouble. We want the government to save us and our visitors from total annihilation . The retired senior security officer should be called to order to stop fuelling crisis in the area.
” There is palpable fear in the entire Bahumono clan which comprises of Ebom , Ediba , Usumtong , Ebijakara , Afafanyin , Igonigoni and Abe Ugo. We used to enjoy the then peaceful coexistence as we intermarried , visited social functions such as new Yam festivals until Usumutong warriors started another war .
We are peaceful people and we want the government to wade into the matter and restore peace back to the community to enable us to go about our normal businesses . We are predominantly farmers and we can no longer go to the farms for fear of being killed .
What it means is that there will be food scarcity in the area and many people will die of hunger. As I am talking to you , our community is sitting on a keg of gun powder ready to explode “, Irem said .
