Cross River: Despite extreme provocations, we won’t attack Etono II — Biakpan traditional rulers

Traditional rulers, elders, and youth representatives of Biakpan community in Biase Local Government Area of Cross River State have reaffirmed their commitment to peace despite what they described as continued provocations from their Etono II neighbours.

In a statement jointly signed by Onun Dr. E. B. Enun, Onun Lawrence E. Ekpezu, Onun Obu Obu Enang, and Chief Godwin Ekpezu, the leaders maintained that they would not be drawn into breaching the peace accord or the Supreme Court’s judgment that settled the long-standing land dispute between the two communities.

Speaking at a media event, their spokesman, His Royal Highness Onun Enang Obu, appealed to the Cross River State Government to enforce the terms of the peace accord, which stipulated that any party found violating it should face sanctions.

He, however, lamented that Biakpan people have suffered killings, destruction of property, and violation of their land under the guise of agitation for self-determination and land ownership.

“We appeal to His Excellency, the Governor of Cross River State, to enforce the decisions and declarations earlier made by the state government to bring this dispute to a lasting end,” he said.

“Biakpan seeks peace anchored on truth, equity, and respect for the rule of law. We stand for peace, law, and justice, but peace without justice is a mirage.”

HRH Enang also cited the High Court, Court of Appeal, and Supreme Court judgments, all of which, he said, resolved the dispute in favour of Biakpan.

He urged that these rulings, as well as the state government’s official position, be respected and implemented.

The traditional rulers further called on the state government, the Inspector-General of Police, the Attorney-General of the Federation, the National Human Rights Commission, and the Department of State Services to ensure the enforcement of all court judgments relating to the conflict.

They accused the Etono II community, one of the six villages that make up Biakpan, of acts of aggression dating back to the early 1980s, including arson, killings, and the destruction of public infrastructure.

The monarchs listed a long list of atrocities perpetrated by their Etono neighbours since the 1980s.

According to them, the latest violence on 5th October 2025 led to the burning of a multi-million-naira cathedral, religious and tourist sites, and estates that attract visitors to Biakpan. They called for the arrest and prosecution of those behind such violations.

“Enough is enough,” the statement concluded. “It is time for the Nigerian State to prove that no one is above the law and no community is bigger than the state. For too long, failure to act has turned aggressors into victims and victims into the accused.”

In an earlier statement signed by one Prince Enene Eke for the Concerned People of Etono II, the community denied burning the cathedral in Biakpan or being the aggressors.

“Given the heavy security presence around the building, it is impossible for anyone from Etono II to have entered the area,” the group said.