8 schools still shut in C’River community as deadly clashes persist

School children and teachers are yet to return to their schools in the Ijiegu-Yache Community of the Yala Local Government Area in Cross River State, even though normalcy seems to be returning following deadly clashes between them and Tiv settlers from Benue State.

Checks by Newspot as of Wednesday confirmed that the four primary schools and four secondary schools, two of them state government-owned, are still deserted as pupils, students, and teachers are scared to return.

The checks further showed that none of the schools was burnt because they are located in the heart of the Ijiegu Yache Community, whereas several houses belonging to the community and those of the Tivs were burnt, and about 12 persons from both sides were killed.

A youth leader in the community, Augustine Odey Adula, in an interview, confirmed that the people who fled during the heat of the communal war have started to return in trickles.

“Our people have started to return home. Schools have not started because of apprehension of attacks by the Tivs,” he said.

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He called for more presence of the soldiers and other security agents instead of restricting themselves to only the town.

“The troops are on ground though but are not everywhere because of their limited numbers”, he said.

Adula also disclosed that it was only yesterday that the market reopened with few activities, adding that most of their people can not still access their farm products because of fear of being attacked by the Tivs.

Reacting, a Tiv community leader in Yache, Chief Jacob Uswa, said even though some normalcy seemed to have returned on their side, too, the Yache boys were still killing them.

“As at Sunday 8 October 2023, they beheaded three of our boys and two others who went to their farms to get cassava for fufu. They took away the heads. There is still tension, although the soldiers who were sent to keep the peace are still around,” he said.

When contacted, the Police Public Relations Officer, Irene Ugbo, said she could not confirm the latest killing.

Commissioner for Education in the state, Senator Stephen Odey, said he has held several peace meetings with both sides and other initiatives to restore normalcy.

He believed that these efforts would yield positive results to enable the children to return to school.