Some reckless and thoughtless individuals are busy posting a gruesome video on various social media platforms alleging that the horrendous imagery originates from the border clashes between communities in Ebonyi and Cross River States.
Nothing could be further from the truth. First, the video in question trended for several weeks in 2017 and purportedly emanated from Boko Haram atrocities in the Lake Chad Basin region.
The observable injuries are not characteristic of injuries inflicted by gunshots or machete cuts, which are the weapons reportedly deployed by those engaged in confrontation in the Ebonyi/Cross River clashes.
Anyone who cared to pay a moment’s attention to the language in the video would have instantly appreciated that the clearly audible language spoken by the beleaguered victims is FRENCH and not any known Nigerian language or dialect!
To post a video of such charged and aggravating content and link it to the clashes at the border between Cross River and Ebonyi States is an act of stupidity and mind boggling ignorance. Insensitive and reckless posts of this nature are capable of sparking devastating events of unpredictable nature and those who initiated and propagated it would have blood on their hands, and the Government of Ebonyi State would stop at nothing to make them answerable for their inflammatory actions.
The communal clashes in question has since been brought under reasonable control through the determined efforts of the Governor of Ebonyi State, Engr David Umahi.
Unfortunately, his Cross River counterpart has done nothing but stoke the embers of violence between residents of the two states through his passivity and nonchalant disposition towards the comprehensive resolution of the contentious issues.
In the interim, a combined team of the police and military operatives has seized control of the area, at the behest of Governor Umahi, and have established a firm occupation of the disputed territory.
Emmanuel Onwe, Commissioner for Information and State Orientation, Ebonyi State.
