Request for the governor to order security agencies to clamp down on murderous, vicious and blood thirsty cult/terror groups operating in Cross River State and the constitution of a judicial commission of inquiry to investigate the perpetrators of the terror/cult-related violence and spate of killings in Ugep (Yakurr); Ogoja; Obudu; Calabar-South Local Government Areas of Cross River state
Dear Sir,
I respectfully, present this Petition as a concerned citizen of Nigeria and as an indigene of Ugep, the Headquarters of Yakurr Local Government Area of Cross River State of Nigeria.
I also wish to state that I am a Traditional Ruler by virtue of my position as the Obol Kepon and Village Head of Letampankom Community of Ijiman Town, Ugep Urban, Yakurr Local Government Area of Cross River State.
There are insinuations and rumour that most members of your government belong to dreaded and deadly cult/terror groups which have threatened the peace, well-being and security of the People of Obudu, Ogoja, Yakurr, Calabar-South Local Government Areas of Cross River State, which more or less has caused a near break down of law and order in these areas.
There has also been spate of cult-related murders/killings in Ugep, Obudu, Ogoja, and Calabar-South Local Government Areas of the State. It has got so bad that in Ogoja the population went on rampage and raided the homes of suspected members of these cult/terror groups and unleashed ‘justice’ on them.
This indeed is a dangerous trend that should not be tolerated by any government at all on account of the serious consequences of mischievous people cashing in on such trend to settle scores with perceived enemies.
It could easily lead to the total disintegration of society and lead to a return to the era described by Thomas Hobbes, the 18th Century Legal Philosophy, when life was short, nasty and brutish.
In all these the Government of Cross River State has been totally and completely ambivalent and indeed half-hearted and lukewarm in tackling this huge and ominous security problem which has assumed frightening, pandemic and endemic proportion.
Apart from the high rate and incidence of cult/terror security challenges in Cross River State, the State regrettably has one of the highest kidnapping rates in the country so much so that averagely in Calabar more than ten kidnappings takes place daily.
Let me recount that gory incident that took place in Ugep, the Headquarters of the Yakurr Local Government Area of Cross River State on the 29th June, 2017, which I believe your Security Adviser and the Police must have briefed you on.
However, by the abundance of caution, even surplusage, I respectfully wish to state as follows thus:
1. An incident occurred on the 29th of June at the Obol Lopon’s Palace in Ugep, Yakurr Local Government Area of Cross River State, involving two Groups of Cultist, namely: Bargers and Axemen.
2. It led to the vicious, dastardly, cold blooded and brutal murder of Mr. Jude Iroegbu Junior of Letampankom, Ijiman Town, Ugep, Yakurr Local Government Area of Cross River State of Nigeria, on the 29th of June, 2017.
3. It is instructive to state that the late Jude Iroegbu Junior is my Nephew (the son of my eldest sister, Madam Uso Obono Iroegbu).
4. It is alleged that the two groups were quarrelling over the disappearance some months ago of one of their members.
5. It was believed that Bargers had alleged that the Obol Lopon of Ugep, Obol Ofem Ubangha, had aided Axemen to arrest Bargers and handed them over to the Police who in turn took them to the State CID and for the whole arrest the Police made, a case of murder was not proved against the Bargers by the Police.
6. It is further alleged the Obol Lopon, Obol Ofem Ubangha declared some of the members of the Bargers wanted. The Bargers boys were tired of hiding and decided to find out who actually killed the man alleged to be dead.
7. The Bargers then met the Obol Lopon, Obol Ofem Ubangha in his Palace to tell the Obol Lopon that they were not guilty of the death that they were declared wanted for.
8. It was in that process that the Obol Lopon, Obol Ofem Ubangha contacted the Police and at the same time called Item Eno Obla, one of his Aides, to mobilize his group (Axemen) to come to the Palace to assist the Police to arrest the Bargers. The members of the Bargers resisted the arrest and ran out of the Obol Lopon’s Palace while the rest of the Bargers were standing outside the Palace watching.
9. The Leader of the Barger’s trousers was held by the spikes of the fence of the Obol Lopon’s Palace, and the Bargers started shooting in the air to enable their leader escape.
10. It was from there that the Obol Lopon, Obol Ofem Ubangha charged the Axemen and gave the Palace arms and ammunition (to his Palace aide) and they went on rampage shooting guns.
11. The Axemen led by Item (the Obol Lopon’s Palace Aide who is an Axeman) went on rampage and began harassing People, hurting some.