BY VICTOR BUORO, ABUJA – The General Officer Commanding (GOC) 82 Division, Nigerian Army, Major General Adamu Baba Abubakar has reconciled the warring communities of Ogorunde and Ofumuna communities in Obubra Local Government Area of Cross River State and their neighbours in Azuofia Edda, Okpuitumo, Ofomana in Osofon area of Abakaliki Local Government Area, Ebonyi State.
At a high powered stakeholders meeting, the warring communities voluntarily agreed to forgive themselves, eschew further acts of violence and remain genuinely committed to peace.
The meeting, according to a press statement by the Deputy Director, Army Public Relations, Colonel Sagir Musa, was in line with the directive by the Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Tukur Yusufu Buratai for the convening of a stakeholders’ peace meeting involving traditional, religious, political and youth leaders of the disagreeing communities to resolve the crisis.
Colonel Musa explained that the meeting was as a result of the clash between Osofon and Ogorunde communities of Ebonyi and Cross River States on September 1, 2017 during which seven persons were allegedly killed and two others were wounded.
He said the need to proactively respond to highly likely reprisal from the bereaved community and to stop the cycle of violence made the GOC to call for the meeting to resolve the crisis.
The Army spokesman said the meeting was attended by the Commissioners of Police of Ebonyi and Cross River States Mr. Titus Lamorde and Hafiz Mohammed respectively, representatives of the Department of State Services, the Special Advisers to the Ebonyi and Cross River States on Security Mr keneth Ugbala and Jude Ngaji respectively.
According to Musa; “Others at the meeting included the Secretary to the Ebonyi State Government, Professor Bernard Odoh and the representative of the Cross River State Government, Mr. Emmanuel Bassey.
“Other top government functionaries and community leaders that attended the stakeholders meeting include the Ebonyi State Commissioner for Border and Peace, Mr. Sylvania Nwankwegu, former Senator Ngiji Ngele, Chief Jeremia Oketah, Honourable Mathew Uguru, Honourable Earnest Henriek, traditional rulers from both communities, Eze Godwin Nwankwegu and Eze Pius Nwamgele, as well as the Chairman Abakaliki Local Government Area of Ebonyi State.”
