Fresh violence has erupted along the Ikom-Obubra border communities in Cross River State, leaving one person with gunshot wounds despite ongoing peace efforts by Governor Bassey Otu to end long-standing hostilities in the area.

The incident occurred on Saturday, October 11, 2025, and left Junior Ebi Anara of Okosora Clan, Ofutop, in Ikom Local Council, injured. Witnesses said the victim was shot by suspected armed men believed to have come from the opposing side when he tried to stop them from harvesting ripened cocoa pods on disputed farmlands around Mfam Osusoh Okpon, a border settlement between Ikom and Obubra.

Tension has persisted for years between the Alesi, Ekukunela, and Agbaragba communities in Ikom, as well as between Ochon, Isabang, and Odonget in Obubra.

A witness, speaking through an interpreter, explained how the confrontation began: “We heard that some men had gone to steal our crops. We went to stop them and asked them to leave our cocoa. One of them suddenly opened fire, and one of us was hit. The rest ran for safety.”

The victim’s father, Mr Anara, said he received news of his son’s shooting while at home. “People came to inform me that my son had been shot at the farm. I followed them there and took him to the hospital. They said he tried to prevent the men from taking away stolen cocoa before he was shot,” he recounted.

Although the identities of those behind the renewed violence remain unclear, residents expressed concern that the attacks continue despite the governor’s directive to all parties to maintain peace and avoid further provocation.

Community sources disclosed that this was the third such incident in recent weeks, occurring even as peace talks continue under the governor’s mediation.

Many farmers in the disputed area have since abandoned their farms for fear of further attacks, raising concerns about food security and economic losses in the cocoa-producing region.

Governor Otu had earlier warned the warring groups to maintain the status quo while the government works on a lasting solution; however, the latest violence suggests that the fragile peace remains under threat.