By BANNERNEWS Reporter, Calabar
The Yakurr Peoples Club (YPC), Abuja, has called on the Ugep and Idomi communities in Yakurr Local Government Area of Cross River State to exercise restraint and embrace dialogue over a lingering land dispute.
In a press statement issued on Friday, the group expressed concern over rising tensions and warned that any resort to violence would violate the Ekori Peace Accord of 2017, a covenant reached under the aegis of the Yakurr Peace Mission.
The YPC described the Ekori accord as a historic framework for sustaining unity, peace and mutual respect among all Yakurr communities, stressing that it remains binding on all parties.
According to the club, the agreement clearly stipulates that any community that initiates violence risks collective communal and institutional consequences.
“No grievance, territorial disagreement or provocation is sufficient justification for bloodshed among brothers,” the statement said.
The group urged immediate de-escalation of tensions, cessation of inflammatory rhetoric and strict restraint in youth mobilisation, while calling on stakeholders to utilise lawful and traditional dispute resolution mechanisms.
It further cautioned that the progress and dignity of the Yakurr people can only be sustained in an atmosphere of peace, warning that history would judge harshly any leader whose actions trigger avoidable conflict.
The YPC noted that the Ekori Peace Accord was forged through sacrifice and must not be undermined by reckless actions, adding that the area had moved beyond internal strife.
Reaffirming its commitment to peace, the club called on all parties to prioritise wisdom and dialogue over confrontation.
“Yakurr must not fight Yakurr — not again, not now, not ever,” the statement added.
