Boxing Day brawl sacks New Netim community Residents of Cross River, 2 Feared Dead
Nigeria December 28, 2015 Dianabasi Effiong
From: Diana Okon-Effiong, New Netim (Cross River)
Two persons are reportedly feared dead on Monday at New Netim community in Odukpani local Government Area as suspected cultists engaged in free-for-all fight over unsettled debt.
Eyewitnesses say that a misunderstanding led to a brawl between two persons on Boxing Day when a young man refused to settle indebtedness incurred on excessive consumption of alcohol.
The eyewitnesses say one of the parties on Monday resorted to self-help, contacted his friends said to be known cultists for a revenge mission in the community.
The situation escalated to a full blown crises leading to the sacking of the entire community.
Women and children were sighted running for dear lives when a free-for-all-fight ensured. Some of the women were sighted riding their tender children on their backs as they flee the crises scene on the highway close to the council secretariat.
They told our correspondent that “there is war in the village’”.
Sadly the crises occurred Dec. 28, the day the state celebrated the grand finale of 2015 Carnival Calabar.
Mr. John Ekuu, the Police Public Relations Officer, Cross River Police Command, who confirmed the crisis, said the Divisional Police Officer for Odukpani had deployed police personnel to the scene. He said the police personnel had been mandated to maintain peace in the affected community and its environs.
“I cannot speak on the casualty for now. But we are on top of the situation,” he said.
Dianabasi Effiong
