GOVERNORS Idris Ichalla Wada of Kogi State and his Anambra State counterpart, Mr. Peter Obi, Thursday waded into the on-going border hostilities between the two states and called for calm.
To ensure lasting peace in the area, the governors said a police post has been established within the border to enforce law and order in the communities.
The governors, who met for more than two hours behind closed- doors at the Kogi State Governor's Lodge, Asokoro District in Abuja yesterday, refuted media reports that about 57 persons were killed in the recent hostilities between Odeke in Ibaji Local Council Area in Kogi State and Aguleri in Anambra State.
The two communities were said to have resumed fresh hostilities over claims to a parcel of land where oil is believed to have been found. Several lives were reportedly lost and about 400 houses burnt.
But the two governors, in a joint statement, said after considering the remote and immediate causes of the dispute, the number of houses said to have been burnt down was false "and completely exaggerated" as only five houses were affected.
According to the statement, neither Kogi nor Anambra State reported any loss of life, "contrary to media reports to the effect that 57 lives were lost. Only four motorcycles were destroyed during the fracas."
The governors sued for peace in Odeke and Enugu-Otu Aguleri communities and appealed to them to ensure good neighbourliness as the issues in contention were being given due attention by the National Boundary Commission (NBC) on the directives of President Goodluck Jonathan.
Obi and Wada said they would ensure peaceful and equitable resolution of the dispute that would be of immense benefit to the people of the two states and further good neighbourliness.
They appealed to those fanning embers of disaffection between the "two brotherly states with long affinity" to desist from such as what the country needs now is peace, which would attract development.
Obi, in particular, denied media reports that Orient Petroleum has vacated the town as a result of the conflict, explaining that the company left as a result of the recent flooding which took place. "After the flooding, they had some other technical issues to contend with before going back into production," Obi said.
Wada, while responding to question on compensation for the victims of the conflict, said the two governments were making assessment of the affected victims to enable them see how they could come to their aid.
The Guardian
They have to resolve the better between themeselves without violence. Violence is not the best thing in this situation