5 dead, women raped, houses razed as gunmen spread terror in Cross River community

• The armed intruders were said to have come from remote Isu community in Ihechiowa Local Government Area of ​​Abia State.

Gunmen have attacked Mbiaong Ukwa community in Odukpani LGA of Cross River State, unleashing unspeakable terror and violence on its residents.

At least five elderly people were killed and homes destroyed when the gunmen, reportedly wearing military uniforms, attacked the enclave.

The armed intruders were said to have come from the remote Isu community in Ihechiowa Local Government Area of ​​Abia State.

According to locals privy to the incident, the intruders kidnapped a number of young men who opposed them.

A community leader in Ukwa Ibom-Efik Eburutu, Chief Okon Odiong Ekpenyong Esu, confirmed the attack to journalists.

He said yesterday’s invasion was not the first time and revealed that the invaders often come to mine limestone in their community and grab their land.

In a statement he released to journalists in Calabar on Sunday, he signed that scores of people, especially children and the elderly, were killed by the attackers

“Several of our people were killed. So many come from Mbiabong. Above all, older people and children who were unable to escape were killed, and others were kidnapped.

“The persistent aggression, wanton destruction of property and killing of Mbiabong-Ukwa people by the Isu community in Abia State with the help of men in military uniform over the years has taken place without checks and no help seems to be forthcoming. “ from everywhere to the helpless people of the Mbiabong Ukwa.

“They are strongly supported by the wealthy Isu leaders and others from Abia State to take over from God the rich limestone embedded in Mbiabong land.

“We have no known shared border with the Isu community like the invaders,” Isu would like people to believe. The constant killing and invasion of the Mbiabong Ukwa community to destroy property is masked by communal land conflicts. It is a deliberate land grab orchestrated by certain rich and wealthy people in Abia State targeting the limestone and other mineral resources in Mbiabong-Ukwa land.

“The destruction of Mbiabong Ukwa by the Isu community on Saturday, May 11, 2024, which also saw the abduction of Mr. Ediong Ediong Essien and his wife, Mrs. Ekpitu Ediong Essien, another little boy Asuquo Ndem and many others Mbiabong Ukwa in particular and the entire Ukwa-Eburutu community in general, there are no motorable roads for people to drive faster and there is no electricity for people to charge their phones and seek assistance call.”

The statement said: “The masterminds of the invasion of our community are interested in the rich mineral resources of the Ukwa-Eburutu land.” The attacks and killings have become unbearable.

“We call on both the federal and state governments of Cross River for help to prevent our total elimination by our neighboring Igbo communities.”

According to him, the Isu periodically came to Mbiabong Ukwa with weapons without their consent to fish in their ponds and farm on their land