Youths invade community, set houses ablaze

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CALABAR — OKPOMA youths in Yala Local Government Area of Cross River State, have invaded the neighbouring Igbekerokor community over a land dispute.

The youths, according to eye witness, invaded Igbekorekor community following fresh misunderstanding over the long-standing dispute over a farmland between the two communities, which several efforts to resolve had failed.

Mr. Matthias Odey, an eye-witness, said the youths with bands tied round their heads chanting war songs, descended on the neighbouring community and set alight the houses located on their common border, daring the Igbekorikor youths to come out for battle.

“Those of us who went to work at the council secretariat in Okpoma were held up for several hours as no one dared to go near for obvious reasons,” Matthias said.

According to him, the aggrieved youths barricaded the only major road between the two communities for several hours and stopped people from crossing.