The Cross River State command of the Nigeria Police have asked the Egbor and Orugbam communities of Biase LGA to refrain from further hostility and bloodshed following the killing of one Mr Nkereuwem Okoh in his farm in Orugbam and injuring several others on Saturday.
A statement from the command reacting to the renewed hostility and signed by its PRO, ASP Eitokpah Sunday Akata, called on the communities to remain calm, and not to take laws into their own hands but cooperate with the Police by providing credible information to apprehend the perpetrators.
On Saturday, 4th July 2026, two farmers, Mr Nkeruwem Ikoh and Mr Ukam Ajah Okpan, both of Orugbam Community, Erei, were allegedly attacked and shot by unidentified gunmen while working on their farmlands near Egbor Community.
Village sources said the victims were rushed to the hospital for immediate assistance but regrettably, Nkeruwem Ikoh reportedly died, while the second victim, Okpan, was reported to be receiving treatment.
Police confirmed that the deceased’s body was deposited at Uwana Mortuary, Afikpo, Ebonyi State, assuring that they were investigating the circumstances surrounding the incident with a view to bringing culprits to justice.
The latest violence is a resurgence of a long-running communal dispute that first escalated in 2020, claiming several lives and destroying property before government-led peace efforts restored relative calm.
Following Saturday’s attack, residents said many people in Egbor fled the community for fear of reprisal attacks, leaving behind mainly the elderly and others unable to relocate.
A former Personal Assistant to a former Vice President and an indigene of Urugbam, Mr Philip Obin, described the attack as unprovoked, expressing concern that more than 24 hours later, no arrests had been made and the state government had yet to issue an official response.
“Let it be on record that on July 4, 2026, armed persons from Egbor Community in Erei South, Biase LGA, together with their collaborators, invaded the farmland of my community, Urugbam.
“During the unprovoked attack, Mr Obong Ikor Obong was shot and killed, while several other persons sustained gunshot injuries,” he said.
Obin further alleged that the attack came shortly after a change of guard at the Forward Operating Base, FOB, established by the Federal Government to curb recurring hostilities in the area.
He claimed the attackers took advantage of the reduced military presence, while noting that security personnel could not monitor every part of the forests and farmlands.
He also accused the authorities of failing to respond adequately to previous petitions, provide relief materials or rehabilitate victims of earlier attacks, warning that persistent inaction could embolden perpetrators and push affected communities toward self-help.
However, an Egbor youth leader, Mr Davies Ekor, rejected claims that his community launched an unprovoked attack, insisting that Egbor residents were responding to provocation and had no reason to undermine the ongoing peace process.