Traditional rulers and representatives of the Ugep community in Yakurr Local Government Area of Cross River State have filed a suit against the Cross River State Government over its proposed creation of a buffer zone between Ugep and Idomi communities.
The claimants are asking a Cross River State High Court in Calabar to nullify the government’s decision to apportion the disputed land in the ratio of 45 per cent to Ugep, 40 per cent to Idomi, and 15 per cent to the state government.
The suit, dated 6 July and seen by this newspaper, was filed by traditional rulers including Aka Enyong, Micheal Ibiang, and four others, for themselves and on behalf of the Ugep community. The defendants are Ofem Edet, the Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, and the Surveyor-General of Cross River State, among others. The case was instituted on behalf of the claimants by a lawyer, Okoi Obono-Obla.
Why the community is suing
In the suit, the claimants contend that the state’s decision to allocate the disputed land using the 45-40-15 formula violates their constitutional right to own property under Section 44 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).
