One policeman and three other persons were said to have died in a communal conflict between Ojor and Uyangha communities in the Akamkpa Local Government Area of Cross River State.
The clash, which started on Monday and continued on Tuesday, was said to have been ignited by some armed persons from Ojor, who tried to pass through Uyangha, and were reportedly refused passage.
An eyewitness from Uyangha, Mr. Solomon Ayi, said the refusal resulted in a fight, which led to the death of three persons and the policeman.
Ojor is a neighbouring community that could only be accessed through Uyangha.
He said, “The Uyangha people stopped some Ojor youths from passing through their community and it resulted in conflict, which led to the killing of three people from Uyangha. I am sure that there were fatalities on the part of the Ojor people too, but I cannot confirm.”
The state Police Public Relations Officer, Irene Ugbo, confirmed that the incident led to the death of a policeman.
She said the policeman was killed when he tried to mediate in the scuffle.
Ugbo, however, said that policemen had been deployed in the area, adding that calm had been restored.
Despite being neighbours, both communities that share similar culture, had in recent time been engaged in violent communal clash.
The last conflict was in June this year, which led to the death 10 persons, while 15 buildings were burnt.
via: INFORMATION NIGERIA
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