Abia communities under incessant attacks by Akwa Ibom.

The alleged incessant attacks of Abia communities by their Akawa Ibom neighbours have become a source of serious worry to traditional rulers and stakeholders of the affected communities.

This dominated presentations at a town-hall meeting of stakeholders and the Nigeria Police Force Committee on Communal Clashes/Crises held on Friday at the Michael Okpara Auditorium, Umuahia.

Speaking at the forum on behalf of communities in Ndoki land, the Chairman of Ukwa East Traditional Rulers Council, HRH Eze Ekeke Ekeabuchi, said communities in the border zone had been living in perpetual fear due to incessant and unprovoked attacks by their Akwa Ibom neighbours.

He said a lot of lives and property worth millions of naira had been lost in the communities during such raids.

While calling for the immediate intervention of the Federal Government for a permanent solution to the crises, the monarch warned that their assailants should not take their peaceful disposition as a sign of  weakness.

He queried the desirability of the Akwa Ibom State Police Command to deploy their personnel to Abia communities at the border areas when in fact the MOPOL 25 of the Nigeria Police had been established in the area to provide security to all at the troubled zone.

He accused  the police men deployed by Akwa Ibom Command of extorting money from his subjects, and called for their immediate withdrawal.

“The policemen sent by a  DPO from Akwa Ibom  should be withdrawn because they are inflicting pains on our people,” he groaned, arguing that “the federal MOPOL should be in charge.”

In an emotion laden tone, a community leader from the area, Pastor  Chimezie, traced communal clashes and constant invasion of Ndoki communities by their Akwa Ibom neighbours to the “biased federal government boundary adjustment of 1985,” which he said unjustly ceded some Imo communities to Cross Rivers.

He said since then and upon creation of Abia State in 1991, Abia communities in the border land had been under attacks by their neighbours, arguing that the controversial boundary adjustment had rather worsened  matters.

He called on the federal government to, as a matter of urgency, review the exercise which, he said, put two kinsmen in different states as a practical way to restore permanent peace and security to the area.

The cleric also called for the immediate removal of all signposts that bearing Akwa Ibom State from Agriga Oru community, a border town he contended “is on Abia soil.”

He further argued that “anyone in the community that wants to be administered by Akwa Ibom State should relocate from the community to Akwa Ibom.”

Chimezie who lamented that  Agriga Ukwu, and Azumini communities were under threat of imminent invasion should Agriga Oru fall into the hands of the assailants, appealed to their Akwa Ibom neighbours to cease their hostilities and give peace a chance.

Responding, Chairman of the Committee, an Assistant Inspector General of Police, Christopher Dega, appreciated the stakeholders for honouring the invitation and for articulating their grievances orderly.

He urged for peace among the waring communities, arguing that only constructive dialogue between communities could ensure lasting peace.