By Okon Bassey in Uyo
Months after, conflict tore Ayadehe community in Itu Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom state has continued to count loses from the mayhem unleashed the people in a communal conflict calling for assistance from both the state and federal governments to contain the internally displaced people.
They have also filed a N2.5 billion claim against the Cross River State government for what they alleged were its complicity in the skirnishes that claimed lives and properties.
Dozens of innocent people were reportedly killed during the year in a renewed attack by militants hired by neigbouring Ikot offiong village and suspected to be sponsored by Cross River State Government.
Ikot offiong village is in Itu local government area of Akwa Ibom state sharing boundary between Ayadehe community and Oku Iboku clan but largely populated by Efik speaking people of Odukpani local government area of Cross River state.
At a sensitisation/enlightenment campaign on the demarcation of the Akwa Ibom and Cross River inter-state boundary, the elders and chiefs of the Ayadehe clan council, noted that the heavily armed militants during the invasion of their territory also burnt down houses, shops, household properties, vehicles terrorizing the community at will.
The sensitisation visit on the boundary demarcation between the two states was attended by the representatives of the Surveyor General of Federation, National Boundary Commission, Akwa Ibom State government, the Police, Directorate of State Services (DSS), representative of the area in the State House of Assembly among other high ranking officials.
A spokesman for the Ayadehe community, a retired director in the state civil service, elder, Edet Eniang stressed that since the mayhem was launched it has provoked a variety of social, political, economic and security problems in the area as schools, markets, farming and fishing and other businesses are still grounded.
 He disclosed that over 250 people had been internally displaced from the vicious unprovoked attacks as the people seek refuge in schools, churches and the neigbouring villages.
The people also urged Federal and State Governments to ensure the dislodgement and removal of militants on the Cross River end of the Itu bridge/wetland as well as erecting Marine Police post to promote confidence in the people.
Welcoming the decision of the Federal Government to proffer a lasting peace, the Ayadehe chiefs also tasked Akwa Ibom and Cross River State Governments to negotiate a political dialogue to address the boundary issue.
Earlier, the State Deputy Governor, Mr. Moses Ekpo had advised the people in the community to continue to allow peace to reign in the area saying the planned demarcation of the boundary between the two states was aimed at finding lasting solution to the conflict.
Ekpo who doubles as the Chairman state boundary committee and was represented by the Permanent Secretary in his office, Mr Nkopuruk Ekaiko reassured them that the state government would not allow any part of their land to be ceded to any other state.
He advised people of the community to always channel their grievances to appropriate authority instead of taking law into their hand and should cooperate during the boundary demarcation exercise by the Federal Government.
The Paramount Ruler of Itu Local Government Area, HRM Edidem Edet Akpan Inyang told the stakeholders that the unfortunate conflict between Oku Iboku and Ikot Offiong was an internal thing in Akwa Ibom State.
 “All the villages in Mbiabo which Ikot Offiong is one are gazzetted villages still on the pay roll of the Akwa Ibom State government. So this conflict was an internal thing if Cross River should have come in it should be as a mediator,†he declared.
The Director General of National Boundary Commission (NBC) represented by the Zonal Laison Officer, South-South zone, Mr. Marcel Ukweni said the visit was to intimate the community of the federal government readiness to demarcate the interstate boundary between Cross River and Akwa Ibom states.
“We are coming to preach peace because no developments strive in an atmosphere of conflict. The federal government through its agencies is ready to demarcate the boundary for you to know your administrative limit and for government to know its limit of developmentâ€, he state.
The Federal Government, he said would fix a date for the interstate boundary demarcation exercise at the end of the sensitisation/enlightenment visit to areas affected.
The Surveyor General of the Federation represented by the Chief Resident Surveyor of Akwa Ibom, Mr Bala Ipalibo lauded the role of the state government in ensuring the sensitisation for the demarcation of the boundary become a success.
The office of the Surveyor General of the Federal, he said was ready to carry out the boundary exercise, warning that the demarcation exercise will be carried out without fear or favour.
 He reiterated that the exercise was for administrative convenience and solicited cooperation of the residents in the affected areas.
