…Condemn Burning of Brotherhood of the Cross and Star Church Auditorium
By Edem Archibong, Calabar
Traditional rulers and concerned citizens of Biakpan Community in Biase Local Government Area of Cross River State have called on the Inspector General of Police, the Director of the Department of State Services (DSS), the Executive Governor, Senator Bassey Edet Otu, and the National Human Rights Commission to urgently intervene in what they described as “acts of felony, arson and mayhem” allegedly committed by youths of Etono II Village.
In a statement issued in Calabar, the Biakpan Traditional Rulers’ Council and members of the Concerned Citizens of Biakpan Community alleged that the Brotherhood of the Cross and Star multipurpose church auditorium located in Biakpan was recently burnt down by hired mercenaries from Etono II Village.
They appealed to the security agencies and relevant authorities to investigate and bring to justice all those responsible for the attack, which they said was a deliberate provocation aimed at destabilizing the long-standing peace in the area.
According to the statement, the leadership of Biakpan Community also copied the Attorney-General of the Federation, calling for his attention to enforce existing judgments that had settled the ownership and boundary disputes between Biakpan and Etono II Village in the past.
The community leaders explained that the dispute over land ownership between the two neighbouring settlements has a long history, with boundaries clearly documented in official maps and surveys. They cited geographical evidence contained in Plan No. EAA/446/LD, which they said recognized Biakpan’s boundaries with several communities, including Ikun, Etono Central, Ukwa Ibom, and parts of Ohafia and Arochukwu areas.
They noted that Biakpan Community comprises six traditional villages—Onoronwanza, Imienyo, Emudakotong, Emibit, Etono II, and Inuk Evai—all of which share a common heritage and ancestral identity.
The monarchs recalled that the crisis began shortly after the Nigerian Civil War when Etono II Village attempted to secede from Biakpan Community and lay claim to communal land as their own.
Between 1972 and 1976, several attempts at peaceful resolution reportedly failed, prompting Biakpan to seek redress in court. They obtained a judgment in Suit No. C/6/73 delivered by the late Justice E.E.E. Effanga, restraining Etono II and its agents from alienating or using the disputed land in ways inconsistent with Biakpan’s communal ownership.
The statement added that Etono II Village appealed the decision in Suit No. CA/E/98/86 but lost at both the Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court, with the apex court’s final verdict in Suit No. SC.100/1990 reaffirming Biakpan’s ownership of the disputed land.
Following the Supreme Court ruling, the Cross River State Government, in a letter dated September 6, 1996 (Ref: SSG/SA/S/434/VOL.IV/419), directed the Biase Local Government Chairman to ensure compliance. The letter reaffirmed that “the land now being occupied by Etono II Village is part and parcel of Biakpan communal land under the headship of the Paramount Ruler of Biakpan.”
Despite the clear judicial pronouncements and repeated government warnings, Biakpan leaders alleged that Etono II residents have consistently violated the peace, citing a major attack in 2006 that prompted intervention by then-Governor Donald Duke.
They further accused Etono II people of desecrating sacred cultural and religious sites, recalling an incident in 1984 when the historic “Garden of Eden” site within Biakpan territory was destroyed, and another in 1987 when a Brotherhood of the Cross and Star procession was attacked, leaving several worshippers injured.
The statement also referenced a gruesome 1987 incident in which a six-year-old Biakpan girl was allegedly abducted and ritually murdered by persons from Etono II Village—a crime that, they said, remains unpunished.
Expressing dismay that Etono II Village has continually defied court orders and peace accords, the Biakpan monarchs said the most recent act of aggression occurred on October 5, 2025, when armed youths and mercenaries from Etono II reportedly invaded Biakpan and set ablaze the Brotherhood of the Cross and Star multipurpose church auditorium.
The Biakpan Traditional Rulers’ Council therefore urged the Inspector General of Police, the Governor, the DSS, and the Human Rights Commission to investigate the matter thoroughly, arrest the perpetrators, and ensure lasting peace through justice and accountability.
They emphasized that the community remains committed to peaceful coexistence and will continue to rely on lawful means to protect its people, properties, and heritage from further aggression.