Youths destroy raffia plantation, economic trees worth N200 million as tension brews in C-River communities
CRISIS is looming between Etab Ayip community in Kasuk Qua Clan II and Ikot Ansa (Nkonib) community, both located in Calabar Municipality Local Government Area, Cross River State, over the ownership of a swamp, along Parliamentary Extension Boulevard in the Paradise City.
Security sources told NDV that youths of both communities were already mobilized for war, as a rival group deployed bulldozer to destroy a raffia palm plantation and other economic trees worth over N200 million in the other community.
HRM Inok Oqua declines comment: Paramount ruler of Calabar Municipality, HRM, Ndidem Patrick Inok Oqua, whose community, Ikot Ansa, allegedly carried out destruction of the economic trees declined comment when NDV contacted him. But the clan head of Kasuk Qua Clan II, HRH Ededem Okon Ayito told our reporter that he was surprised at the actions of Ikot Ansa people because the portion of land in question belongs to his community, adding that some people trespassed on the land in the past and the issue of ownership was litigated in court, which his community won in 1951, 1952, 1953 and 1983.
His words: “I am surprised that somebody went to court and could not wait for a matter to be decided, they could not wait for judgment to be given, they went ahead to start destroying my economic trees. Those economic trees (raffia palm plantation) were planted from my sweat, my hard earned money as a young farmer. They are claiming that the Nigerian Army gave them the land as a trade off, I have never heard that army allots lands to individuals. In the process, they have destroyed economic trees worth more than N200 million, that plantation has been standing since 2001, they destroyed more than 50,000 raffia palm trees with bulldozer.
Court of competent jurisdiction
“The youths of the community are saying that they will not allow the matter to just die like that, but as a law abiding citizen, I will not allow any of my subjects to take the law into their hands no matter what. I am, however, appealing to Governor Ben Ayade, Commissioner of Police and Army to wade into the matter before it gets out of hand to avert any bloodshed in my community.”
Lawlessness: Counsel to the Kasuk Qua II Clan, Barrister Umoh, said it was really unfortunate that the community that took a matter to a court of competent jurisdiction could not wait for the procedure to end and went into the plantation to destroy his clients’ raffia palms and other economic trees.
“This action alone has created a lot of fear and tension in the community because the people are not happy with the damage that has been caused by Ikot Ansa people in the swamp and adjoining dry land. They have taken the laws into their hands and that is why we filed an order of interlocutory injunction restraining the claimant their agents, workers servants or privies from continuing to cross over from and beyond the area of land purportedly released to them by Deed of Release dated September 29, 2006 as shown in a survey plan No. CR/C.928.
“Our major concern is the affront on my clients by Ikot Ansa people, as it has created trepidation, we do not really know how long the people will hold on or be law- abiding if nothing is done,” he added.
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