By Abimbola Ogunnaike
Akwa Ibom State Police Command has confirmed the death of at least four persons in the renewed communal violence between the Amazaba community in Eastern Obolo and their Ikot Akpan Udo neighbours in the Ikot Abasi Local Government Area of the state.
This is because it has deployed a tactical force of about 300 officers to the warring communities to dominate and quell the disturbances.
The command’s Public Relations Officer, Odiko Macdon, confirmed the development while speaking with newsmen on Saturday, 13 May, 2023, explaining that the State Commissioner of Police, Olatoye Durusinmi, had also appealed to relevant state and non-state actors to intensify their interface to resolve the crisis.
Recall that the Amazaba and Eastern Obolo crisis broke out in 2008, resulting in the wanton destruction of lives and properties and the displacement of thousands of residents from the warring communities.
Since then efforts by successive administrations to resolve the crisis have yielded little or no positive results.
Governor Udom Emmanuel’s effort to resolve the agelong crisis and resettle the displaced persons by constituting a White Paper Implementation Committee headed by the Commissioner of Health, Prof Augustine Umoh, had suffered several setbacks following occasional disruptions of the peace initiatives by the warring communities.
“The crisis in Amazaba community in Eastern Obolo and Ikot Akpan Udo of Ette clan in Ikot Abasi local government has led to the lives of four persons. We have mobilised about 300 policemen to the places, there are heavy deployments
“Furthermore, the Command is sparing no resources in restoring normalcy, the CP has called on those concerned to give peace a chance. He has further called on relevant state and non-state Actors to intensify their interface to restore peace,” the state police spokesperson said.
