Apprehension as Yoruba fishermen flee 2 A’Ibom communities
EMERGENCY DIGEST- YORUBA inhabitants, mainly fishermen, residing at Mkpanak and Iwukpom villages in Ibeno Local Government Area, Akwa-Ibom State, have escaped from their homes in both towns, following a clash between Yoruba and Mkpanak youths, generating uneasy tension.
One person was reportedly killed, several others either maimed or missing and property worth millions of naira destroyed in the violent clash.
However, head of Iwuokpom, one of the affected Ibeno villages, Obong Okon Sunday Atabop, told NDV that nobody chased away Ilaje-Yoruba residents from the community, saying the people would sit down with them at a round-table to resolve the misunderstanding when they return.
To avert escalation of the crisis, the chairman of Ibeno Local Government Council, High Chief Henry Mkpa, on April 21, imposed a 7.00 pm to 6.00 am curfew on the local government area.
They shot arbitrarily, burnt my boats, fishing nets – Mr. Ayo
On what caused the fight, one of the fleeing fishermen, a father of seven children, Mr. Ayo, said: “The only thing I can say is that it was around 2.00 am, I heard noise outside my house. Before I knew what was happening, they (boys) entered my house, took all my money and other things. So everybody ran and scattered.
“I live in Jacob Street, Ibeno and I have lived in Ibeno for more than six years but l have not seen a thing like this happen before. Sometimes, we have misunderstanding with the natives, but within seconds, we settle. Other tribes are living there too and when this started, everybody ran away.
“Those people were shooting indiscriminately. If the police and soldiers had not come, maybe they would have killed everybody. It was not a small thing, they burnt all my boats, and my fishing nets. We are standing here because we don’t have anywhere to stay.
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“We arrived in this place (temporary refugee location) since yesterday (last Wednesday) and we were more than this number you are seeing here today. Some people have gone to find houses to stay in town.”
My son, Taye missing
“Some people have died, many are missing. As we are talking, one of my sons, Taye, is missing. I do not know where to look for him. I am planning to see if I can find a soldier that I will join to the Terminal (Mkpanak area) to search for him. I cannot go there alone. There are many streets there, when those doing bad things see security agents, they will go to another street to make trouble. Most of us here are local fishermen in Ibeno,” he said.
I and my children are starving – Mrs. Solomon
Also, Mrs. Taiwo Solomon residing at Apostolic Road, Ibeno, testified that on Tuesday night when she peeped through her window, she saw people running and boats in flames, she was afraid and held her six children together.
“We were hiding in the house when we were told to move and lock our door, that if those people making trouble come inside the house, we will be killed. So we left Ibeno about 12.00 pm on Wednesday. We are stranded here, we do not have anywhere else to go. We have not even eaten since that yesterday. We managed to buy water and snacks for the children, ” she lamented.
Nobody pursued them—Obong Atabop, Iwuokpom village head
Reacting, the Village Head of Iwuokpom in Ibeno, Obong Okon Sunday Atabop, said: “I went to church, because we (Brotherhood) are having Pentecost this period and I came back home around 11.00pm. On the way, I saw broken bottles everywhere. When I got home, I saw Yoruba boys, they were many. I told them to go home that I did not want to see anybody causing problem here at Iwuokpom, but they refused to go.
“When the boys from my village heard about this and came out, I asked them to go home and they did. But as I prepared to go to sleep at about 2.00 am, I saw some Yoruba boys, they started rioting, and there were shootings. I was afraid, so I used my phone and called the paramount ruler and the Divisional Police Officer, DPO. The police team came and dispersed them. But before police came.
