About 17 able bodied men have been arrested involvement in the attacks in the boundary dispute between Oku Iboku clan in Itu Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State and Ikot Offiong in Odukpani Local government area of Cross Rivers State.
The suspects we gathered that dressed in white costumes as Pastors were nabbed in an attempt to gain acceas into Akwa Ibom.
Chairman of Oku Iboku Clan local government Council, Mr. Ability Emah, said he quicly ran to the scene when he heard that the military men on the side of Cross River State were interrogating a group that arrived in a bus that Friday morning, I quickly ran there and saw the Army arrest them.
According to him, Some even disguised themselves as preachers, dressed in all white. An Army officer told me that it was when they confronted them that they discovered that they were armed.
Narrating his ordeal Emah said “I saw them remove sophisticated guns, ammunition and charms from their bus. In fact, I was told that it was the charms on them that attracted the attention of the military men.”
The Akwa Ibom State Police Public Relations Officer Mr. Chukwu Ikechukwu, who confirmed the incident, said, that some people were arrested at the Head Bridge, but however, he could not confirm the number of suspects that were arrested.
Nigerian Army said in a statement signed by the Assistant Director Army Public Relations Captain Umar Shuaib that“The troops of 2 Brigade, Nigerian Army in Uyo, arrested armed cultists at Uku Iboku Itu Bridge, boundary between Akwa Ibom and Cross River.”
