Over 200 Massacred In Renewed Crises In Biase- CRS.

Over 200 Massacred In Renewed Crises In Erei, As Nigerian Army Withdraws Soldiers From Cross River State Over Unpaid Allowances

Over 200 people are reported killed, as three more communities are razed in Erei, over land disputes in Biase LGA of Cross River State, by militants, after Nigerian Army & other security agencies withdrew their services over Governor Ayade's inability to fund or at least support security efforts in the state with the high crime rate and militancy.

Slained Man In the renewed war

As at the time of filing this report, dozens of dead bodies and injured victims, including pregnant women, children and elderly people are littered in bushes within and around Edu, Afono and Urugbam communities, after hired militants by neighbouring communities overran the communities with AK-74 machine guns, dynamites and other dangerous weapons, before burning down every single structure on sight.

The indigenes of the affected community are calling on well meaning Cross Riverians and Nigerians to prevail on Governor Ayade to urgently and immediately deploy Security Agencies to rescue the helpless people of Erei,. It is on record that the Erei people have exhausted all communication channels to His Excellency, Sen Benedict Ayade with little or no response.

The displaced Erei people are currently in neighbouring communities of Unwana in Afikpo North LGA of Ebonyi state, Amangwu and Okon Ohafia, both in Ohafia LGA of Abia State, where they are going excruciating humanitarian crisis, as all efforts to get the government of Cross River state to even pay a visit to the displaced proved abortive.

Killed victim of the war

security agencies in the state are said to be owed 13-18 months allowances in arrears, and the Nigerian Army were asked to withdraw their services across the state on the orders of Gov Ayade and only 25 soldiers are left who now serve as guards to the Governor and his immediate family after they protested to the governor to pay their backlog of allowances.

Since the withdrawal of soldiers across the state on the 3rd of May 2020, close to a thousand people have been murdered, including cult-related clashes and renewed communal clashes in about 13 out of the 18 LGAs in Cross River State.

It is unclear why the daily killings is going on unabated across the length and breadth of the state.

Available records show that Governor Ayade receives an average of N500 million monthly or N7 billion annually as security votes, yet finds it difficult to release up to N10 million monthly to support security efforts in the state.

It is on record that President Muhammad Buhari, had issued a statement on the crisis in Erei when Urugbam community was first attacked and dozens killed in December 2018, asking the Governor to wade in and resolve the crisis, but the Governor is yet to visit the scene of the incident since then, not to talk of sending a cup of garri, carton of indomie or a toilet roll, as relief materials - till date.

 The Erei community is soliciting the support of Nigeria's National Assembly, the Cross River State House of Assembly as well as Cross River State Leaders of Thought, to prevail on Governor Ayade to rise up to the security challenges in the state, as the Chief Executive as well as Chief Security Officer of state.

 political leaders representing the Erei Nation and Biase LGA at the state and national level: Hon. Ogbor Ogbor Odop - representing Biase at the State House of Assembly, Rt Hon. Daniel Asuquo - representing Akamkpa/Biase Federal Constituency, Senator Gershom Bassey - representing Cross River South Senatorial Districts, according to reports have made themselves unavailable from the inception of the crisis in Biase LGA, which has consumed hundreds of lives and properties worth over billions of Naira.

Erei consists of 10 communities divided into Erei North and South wards in Biase LGA of Cross River State.