A small holder cocoa farmer operating at Abonita Cocoa farm in Etung local government area of Cross River State, Mr Mark Prince, has called on the State Director, Department of State Services (DSS), Mrs Roseline Izuagbe, to investigate alleged attack of his six workers by a rival farmer, Mr Asu Njor, with thugs who inflicted various degree of injuries on his workers at the contentious 32 hectares Abonita cocoa estate belonging to the state government on Wednesday last week.
Mark Prince made the call during an interactive session with journalists Sunday in Calabar, stressing that the injured workers are currently receiving treatment at General Hospital Ikom, Cross River State.
He accused Governor Otu’s Special Adviser on Security, Major General Okoi Obono Rtd, of compromising the security situation at the 32 hectares Abonita cocoa estate, where he shared a boundary with government cocoa estate in the area, calling for investigation into the matter and sanction given to culprits.
“I am calling on the director, State Security Service (SSS), because there is no way you can sit at the comfort of your home and put up a document, stopping the army that used to patrol at the Abonita axis, protecting lives and property of citizens from patrolling any longer because you want your personal interest to be protected.
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“As I speak, if you go into the farms now, you will see Njor’s thugs parading with arms in the cocoa farm. If this is not checked, I foresee outbreak of lawlessness at Abonita axis between Agbokim and Ajassor neighboring communities at the nearest future.
“Don’t you know that persistent attack can cause war between the two sisters communities of Ajassor and Agbokim, because there is no way you machete people like this and we mobilize for revenge that it won’t result to a communal war.
“I am calling on the state governor, Bassey Otu, to ask his State Security Adviser, Major General Okoi Obono Rtd, to explain to him, why he halted the Nigerian Army from patrolling at Abonita cocoa estate known for criminal activities.
“We have instances where a criminal commits a crime and we incident the matter at the Divisional Police Headquarters at Effraya, Etung local government of the state, the matter will quickly be transferred to Zone 6 police Command Calabar, or Abuja. Before you know it, victims suddenly turn to suspects,” he maintained.
Narrating his ordeal, one of the victims Mr Kelly Abang, who spoke on behalf of others at Ikom General Hospital said, “I go to do work for Mark Prince cocoa farm yesterday and one man called Chilo met us in the bush and asked us about the owner of the farm and we told him we are labourers working for Mark Prince.
“He demanded that I should call our master, 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 company of the boys.
“Only for him to return back about 30 minutes later in company of armed young men who tortured us squarely and inflicted injuries on us with machetes.”
In his reaction, the accused, Mr Asu Njor (Chilo), denied any involvement in the attack, stressing that he was in Calabar and not at Abonita farm on the day that Mark Prince’s workers claimed they were attacked, adding that he had no hands in the matter.
Reacting, Governor Otu’s Special Adviser on Security Matters Maj. Gen. Okoi Obono Rtd, denied compromise of security situation at the estate as alleged, stressing that he had asked police to commence investigation.