Gunmen codenamed armed warriors invade Ikom Community in Cross River State, killing a youth and injuring several others as many flee in communal crisis
By Jude Nzennaya, Port Harcourt
The crisis in Ikom and Obubra communities in Cross River State has continued unabated as armed groups invaded Okosora Clan and killed one person while several others sustained gunshot wounds.
There has been a lingering communal clash between Alesi, Ekukunela and Agbaragba communities in Ikom Local Government Area (LGA), and Ochon, Isabang and Odonget in neighbouring Obubra Local Government Area (LGA) both in Cross River State.
According to sources the war has defied every government move for a peaceful solution even as Governor Bassey Out has continued peace talks with the aim of bringing a lasting solution to the persisting communal clash.
The latest victim of the clash has been identified as Junior Ebi Anara who hails from Okosora Clan, in Ofutop, Ikom Local Government Area.
Despite Governor Otu’s warning that the warring parties should maintain the status quo ante, gunshots were again heard at the border area between Ikom and Obubra , precisely at (Mfam Osusoh Okpon ( in Okosora Border area with Onye Okpon).
Tentacle reliably learnt that the renewed attack happened on Saturday, October 11 , 2025 as eyewitness and survivors account indicate that the youths from Ofutop attempted to stop rival armed groups from harvesting Cocoa from their farms located on the disputed area.
A source who spoke through an interpreter said, “When we heard that those men had gone to steal our crops, we went to stop them, we were telling them to leave our cocoa, when one of them opened fire on us, one of us was shot and the rest fled the scene.”
Father of the victim, who narrated how he got the news of his son’s tragedy, said, “I was at home when some people came to me telling me that my son had been shot at the farm. I went with them to get my son and took him to the hospital, before we got there, the armed men had left, I was told he tried stopping the men from taking away stolen cocoa from the farm.”
It is yet unclear who led the armed groups into the farms in the disputed area, but residents and farm owners within the disputed zone keep expressing worry over the safety of their crops, but it was observed that this is about the third attack on farmers in the area by armed men since the governor’s intervention began.
