A longstanding land dispute between the Ofunokpan-Mbembe and Ntansele communities in Ikom, Cross River State, has reportedly resulted in the tragic loss of three lives. Spanning over three decades, the feud between these two communities, both situated in the Central senatorial district of the state, has remained unresolved despite numerous interventions by the state government.
According to a source identified as Mufuno, the efforts of the state government to mediate and resolve the dispute have been unsuccessful. The situation escalated over the weekend when enraged youths from the Ofunokpan-Mbembe community allegedly launched an attack on the Ntansele community, resulting in the loss of lives at Nnaorokpa village in Nta.
Expressing dismay over the violence, the Vice-President of the Congress of Ofunokpan-Mbembe has called for a peaceful resolution to the conflict, emphasizing the urgent need for both communities to find common ground and restore stability.
In response to the crisis, the Cross River State Police Command, through its spokesperson Irene Ugbo, confirmed the deployment of a specialized team of detectives alongside security personnel from sister agencies to the affected areas. T
heir swift intervention has reportedly restored normalcy to the warring communities, albeit the underlying tensions persist.
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