Fresh incidents of bloodshed have erupted between communities in Akwa Ibom and Abia states, reigniting a bitter border dispute that has claimed lives and fr

actured long-standing relationships.
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Addressing the National Boundary Commission (NBC) stakeholders’ meeting in Abuja, yesterday, Akwa Ibom’s Deputy Governor, Dr. Akon Eyakenyi, revealed escalating hostilities along the disputed borders.

According to Eyakenyi, residents of Ini Local Council of Akwa Ibom have faced attacks, abductions, and encroachments from neighbouring communities in Abia State with tragic loss of lives in recent weeks.

She underscored the urgent need for peace, warning that Akwa Ibom State would not permit further encroachment on its territory D. She added that there was no need to lose lives over land.

Abia’s Deputy Governor, Ikechukwu Emetu, on his part, expressed regret over the longstanding crisis and the resources it has drained, noting: “Doing the same thing repeatedly and expecting different results is odd.”

He attributed the lack of resolution to insufficient political backing while reaffirming Governor Alex Otti’s commitment to ending the dispute to foster a better business climate in the region.
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Emetu conveyed the Abia State government’s commitment to finally resolve the longstanding dispute, which he described as a “cankerworm” that has drained resources and disrupted peace in the region.

According to him, the boundary demarcation efforts date back to an agreement between the two states in 2001-2002, during which preliminary demarcation work commenced in 2004 and concluded in 2005.

He said that technical challenges persisted, as recent examinations by experts revealed missing field records on the official geo-referenced map. This issue, he said, has hindered further progress, with Abia officials, urging the Surveyor General’s office and the NBC to expedite the recovery of crucial documents, including the original field maps and a survey of the Arochukwu Cocoa Estate dating back to 1964.

In his address, the Deputy Governor expressed concern over ongoing skirmishes between border communities, urging the NBC to differentiate between genuine boundary disputes and cases where communities seek boundary adjustments.

He highlighted the six autonomous communities in Itumbauzo and Akirikaobu in Abia State, which have reportedly faced pressure to integrate with Akwa Ibom State despite historically belonging to Abia.

The NBC Director-General, Adamu A. Adaji, called both states to exercise restraint. “We must not let boundary lines become the grounds for senseless violence,” he stated, emphasising the toll the conflict has taken on both sides.
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