Intra and inter-State border clashes in more than 20 states persist in 2021- PeacePro

• Urges govt, BCDA to proffer parmanent solutions to border crisis

An Independent peace-building organisation, Foundation for Peace Professionals, popularly known as Peacepro, has expressed concerns over the persistently recurring border-related crises in Nigeria.

The organisation, which has been mapping threat to peace across the country, also noted that intra and Inter-state border-related crisis had broken out or persisited in more than 20 states of the federation in 2021.

In a statement by the Executive Director of PeacePro, Mr Abdulrazaq Hamzat, the group stated that in the January edition of PeacePro’s State of Peace report alone, land-related communal dispute led to crisis in more than 13 States of the federation and in the subsequent months, similar clashes occured in more than 20 states of the federation.

According to Hamzat, inter-state border clashes between Abia and Akwa Ibom’s Ikwuano Council communities
and Ini and Obot Akara Council claimed several lives in January, while clashes between Enugu and Ebonyi State border Communities also claimed many lives.

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Hamzat also noted that intra-state border-related crisis took place in many states of the federation.

“In Osun State, intra-state crisis took place between Erin Osun and Ilobu Communities. In Adamawa State, it was between Lamurod Community and others.

“In Akwa Ibom, Okopedi and Ammamong and several other communities were engaged in armed conflict. In Anambra State, it was between Aguleri, Umueri and Umuoba.

“In Benue State, Ibilla took up arms against Ukpa community. In Cross River, Abakang was against Alok.

“In Delta State, Effium was against Ezza community. In Taraba State, Tiv and Jukun in Chachenji village took up arms against one another and several other states across the federation,” he said.

Hamzat also decried the non-implementation of several court judgments relating to land disputes in the country, saying that government should not continue to disregard its own institutions, as that would amount to culpability in the persistent crises of land in the country.

According to him, there were several court judgments in the country relating to land disputes, including surpeme court judgments that had not yet been implemented and some of these judgments date back to the 1980’s.”

He noted that the non-implementation of these court judgments had encouraged lawlessness across the country, not only from disputing communities, but also from government.

“While PeacePro’s is aware that court judgments are mostly given based on soundness of lawyers and legal technicalities, not necessarily to resolve the matter in a truthful manner, we still beleive that judgments from the highest court in the land over land disputes should not be left unexecuted.”

He therefore called on Federal government, state governments and Border Communities Development Agency (BCDA) to come up with initiatives to address the numerous border related disputes in the country to avoid persistent bloodshed that had become a regular part of our experience in the country.