By Nsan Ndoma-Neji, Calabar
The Calabar, Cross River State branch of the Nigerian Bar Association, NBA, has raised the alarm over what it described as clamping down on the vulnerable people of Nko community in Yakurr Local Government Area of the state, who had been at war with their neighboring Onyedama community of Obubra Local Government Area of Cross River State.
Stakeholders in the community had decried the directives of the Cross River State governor, Prof. Ben Ayade to the Nigerian Army to sustain military operation in Nko.
Speaking on the issue yesterday in Calabar, the branch Chairman of the NBA, Mr. Attah Ochinke, said that the NBA is shocked over directives of the state government ordering soldiers to sustain their stay in Nko community, in Yakurr Local Government Area, which is at the moment in conflict with their Onyedama neighbours over a stretch of land that had in the last decades resulted to war during farming seasons.
Ochinke, who spoke alongside Calabar NBA Branch Secretary, Mrs Eno Edet, condemned the engagement of communities with their neighbors, in a fracas that has sent many to their early graves
The lawyers averred that the state government’s directives on the sustenance of military operation in the war-torn area of Nko community is appalling and ill advised.
While describing the government’s directive as unneccesary and uncalled for, they stressed that should soldiers continue to stay in Nko community, the number of lives and property that would be destroyed would skyrocket.
The state governor had on June 27, 2023 issued a directive, asking soldiers to sustain their operations at Nko community, a community currently at war with their Onyedama neighbours of Obubra Local Government Area of Cross River State, pending when those behind the shooting of six military men are fished out.
The NBA said, “While we join the governor in condemning the embarrassing and seemingly intractable communal clashes between these neighboring communities, we view the directive of the governor to the army to sustain its operations in Nko community as appalling and ill advised.”
A press statement issued by the NBA and signed by the chairman, Ochinke and Secretary, Mrs Edet, respectively and sighted by CompassNG in Calabar, the NBA stated, “It is common knowledge that the army is currently engaged in a reprisal action against the Nko community over the alleged shooting of six military personnel in the course of the crisis.
“The army is alleged to be currently engaged in indiscriminate shooting, summary execution and rape of hapless citizens in Nko community under the guise of fishing out the perpetrators responsible for the shooting of the military personnel.
“Houses and other properties are being burnt or destroyed by the military in the operation to fish out the culprits. The reprisal attacks are raw vengeance and not an investigation.
“We particularly condemn the attack and killing of military personnel drafted to the scene to help bring the situation to order. While the details of the events are awaited, no excuse will justify the shooting of army personnel on a peace keeping operation.”
The NBA called on the state government and the military authority to evacuate soldiers out from Nko Community so that the people can return to their community.
