No fewer than 3000 persons in Busi 4, one of the communities at the base of the famous Obudu Ranch Resort in Obanliku Local Government Area of Cross River State, have been displaced following a communal conflict, at the weekend.
Sources in the area confirmed that five of the Busi communities, Busi 1, Busi 2, Busi 3, Busi 5 and Busi 6, allegedly joined forces to attack Busi 4, following a dispute over a parcel of farmland.
When Vanguard visited the conflict area, which is located over four hundred kilometres away from Calabar, several houses in Busi 4 were set ablaze with farmlands and water sources destroyed, and the villagers had escaped to the divisional police headquarters and the council headquarters at Sankwala, to seek refuge.
Mr. Emmanuel Okobere, a community leader in Busi 4, who spoke with newsmen said, “Neighbouring communities of Busi 1, 2, 3, 5 and 6 invaded us in a protracted dispute over a parcel of land, which has spanned several years.
“We got court judgement in our favour five times, which they refused to accept.”
Mr. Francis Obi, a youth leader in the community said the invaders attacked their community on Friday evening, taking them unawares.
According to him, “We were preparing to go to bed when all of a sudden, we started hearing gunshots, which caused panic in the community as our people started running and those who could not run fast enough were killed and our houses set ablaze.”
Mr. John Inaku, Director General of Cross River State Emergency Management Agency, SEMA, attributed the crisis to lack of patience and understanding among communities and condemned the act as barbaric and unnecessary.
“These villages are always in a hurry to engage in the use of violence to settle land disputes, even when government is taking measures to settle the situation amicably,” he added
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