CR Community protest arrest of 17 Youths over Communal clash

BY AGOSI EZIN

Residents of Ikot-Offiong community in Odukpani local government area of Cross River has  protested the arrest of 17 youths over communal crisis. 

The community who are over 200 accused the 2 Brigade Nigerian Army, Uyo of arresting the  17  youths  on Friday May 19, 2017 at the Odukpani end-bridge.
They carried placards with inscriptions such as “Governor Ayade please help us release our 17 youths, FG help us secure our bandries”. 

It will be recall that the people of Ikot-Offiong in Odukpani Cross River and the people of Oku Iboku community in Akwa-Ibom have been engaged in series of communal crisis that have  claimed lives and properties over decades. 

Speaking on behalf of the community, chairman, National Youth Council of Nigeria, Odukpani chapter, Mr Philip Okon, said the peaceful protest to the Governor came as the result of the unlawful arrest of the 17 youths by soldiers. 

Describing it as illegal he appealed for the immediate release of the 17 to avoid further crisis. 

Okon said, “We are here today to protest the illegal arrest of our 17 youths by soldiers from 2 Brigade Uyo. We are demanding for their unconditional release.

“The soldiers said that the youths were caught with firearms; if their allegation is true, then they should return them back to 13 Brigade Nigerian Army Calabar for trial.

“It is very risky keeping them in Uyo because this will further deepen the crisis between both communities that share a common boundary.
“We are calling on the state governor, the president and members of the national assembly from the state to help us by releasing our youths’’, he appealed.

At the time of filing this report, for hours no government official came to address the worried community as they continued with songs of solidarity.