Abia/Cross River Boundary clash: 1 killed, 3 injured, houses destroyed

There is heightened tension in Abia state over the renewed outbreak of hostilities between the boundary communities of Isu in Arochukwu local government area of Abia State and Utuma in Biase local government area of Cross River State Monday.

Already, one person was killed while three others were injured and property worth millions of naira destroyed following renewed clash.
The Abia State House of Assembly has passed a resolution calling on the Police Commissioner and other security agencies to move into Isu Community immediately to forestall further loss of lives and property in the area.

The resolution followed a matter of Urgent Public Importance brought before the House by the member representing Arochukwu State Constituency, Dr Mike Ukoha, on the renewed invasion of the people of Isu clan by their Biase neighbours, praying the House to intervene to forestall further loss of lives and property in the crisis.

Isu and Utuma communities have been embroiled in border clashes since 2018.

“Invaders from Cross River State attacked people from Isu community this morning. They murdered one person and injured three other people.

“I call on the Governor, his Deputy in particular who has the responsibility of boundary adjustment, to send in security agencies as quickly as possible.

“And we are asking the federal government to send Boundary Adjustment Committee to resolve this matter. We need reconciliation rather than regular attacks either from Isu or Biase,” Ukoha said while presenting the matter to his colleagues during plenary Monday.

Speaker of the House, Rt. Hon. Chinedum Orji, while announcing the position of the lawmakers, said immediate deployment of security personnel to the trouble community has become imperative, pending the resolution of the boundary dispute between the two border communities.

In another development, the House also called on the on the Federal Road Maintenance Agency (FERMA) to, to as matter of agency, come to the aid of road users, the people of Abam and Ohafia in Arochukwu and Ohafia local government areas respectively by repairing the dilapidated Mmuri bridge to prevent avoidable loss of lives and property.

The resolution was sequel to a matter of urgent public Importance brought by the Deputy Speaker of the House and member representing Ohafia South State Constituency, Rt.Hon. Ifeanyi Uchendu.

Uchendu lamented the deplorable state of the ancient metallic bridge on the only road linking the people of Abam and Ohafia, and beyond.
He prayed the House to mandate the House Committee on Works and Project Monitoring to carry out an on-the-spot assessment and report back to the House and also prayed the House to prevail on the State Government to carry out palliative measures on the failed portion of the bridge.

Also during plenary, HAB 13, the Abia State Orientation Agency Bill 2019 sponsored by the Majority Leader of the House, Hon. Solomon Akpulonu, scaled through Second Reading.

While leading the debate on the bill, Akpulonu said the bill, when passed into Law, would help in giving Abians orientation about the norms and values of the state.

After contributions by other lawmakers, the Speaker, Rt.Hon. Chinedum Enyinnaya Orji, committed the bill to House Committee of the Whole for further Legislative action.