Nelson Utip
Thugs and rival cocoa farmers have engaged in a brawl in Etung Local Government Area of Cross River State leaving many injured, according to reports some of the farmers accused the armed security patrol team in the area and fingered the Special Adviser on Security Matters to the State Government, Maj.Gen Rtd. Okoi Obono as the brain behind.
A victim, Mark Prince, urged the State Director Department of State Services (DSS), Mrs. Roseline Izuagbe, to Investigate the attack on his six workers by thugs who inflicted various degree of injuries on them in the area since October 2, 2024.
Prince further stated his injured workers are receiving treatment at the General Hospital in Ikom. The immediate cause of the clash was not unravelled but Mark blamed The Special Adviser to the Cross River State Government on Security Matters, Rtd. Major General Okoi Obono, of compromising the security situation at the l32 hectares Abonita cocoa estate which shares a boundary with government Cocoa estate in the area, he calls for the investigation of the matter.
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Another victim, Mr. Kelly Abang said: “I went to do work at Mr Mark Prince’s cocoa farm yesterday and one man, identified as Chilo met us in the bush and asked us about the owner of the farm and we told him we are laborers working for Mark Prince.
“He demanded that I should call our Boss, Mr. Mark Prince, because he wants to speak with him. And I responded to his demand and I put a call across to Mark Prince and they spoke with each other. And thereafter, Mr. Chilo ( ASU Njor) asked us to continue with our work and he left in the company of the boys. Only for him to return back about 30 minutes later in the company of some armed young men who tortured us squarely and inflicted numerous injuries on us with machetes
Mr. Asu Njor (Chilo), however denied any involvement in the fracas.
In his reaction to the clash, Rtd. Major -Gen Okoi Obono denied the allegation of compromise of the security details at the estate, stressing that he has called in the police to investigate the crisis.
