The Cross River State Government has imposed a dusk-to-dawn curfew on Ugep and Idomi communities in Yakurr Local Government Area following a fresh spike in tensions linked to a protracted communal land dispute.
The restriction, announced by Commissioner for Information Erasmus Ekpang, will run daily from 6:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. for an initial seven-day period starting Tuesday, May 5, 2026.
The emphasized that the measure aimed at preventing a breakdown of law and order as hostilities threaten to escalate.
The decision was reached after a high-level peace meeting convened on Monday and presided over by Deputy Governor Peter Odey. The meeting brought together the State Surveyor General, officials of the Boundary Commission, and leaders from the affected communities.
Governor Bassey Edet Otu, who approved the curfew, directed the Nigeria Police Force and other security agencies to enforce the order strictly.
He, however, clarified that vehicular movement along the Ugep–Ikom Highway will remain open to avoid disrupting economic activities and intercity travel.
Traditional and political authorities in Yakurr—including the council chairman, paramount ruler, and clan heads—have been tasked with intensifying grassroots sensitisation and working closely with security operatives to restore calm.
The state government warned that the situation, if left unchecked, could spill beyond the immediate communities and threaten wider stability in the state.
Residents have therefore been urged to comply fully with the curfew while ongoing dialogue and boundary verification efforts continue.
The government reiterated its commitment to a peaceful and transparent resolution of the dispute, stressing that lasting stability remains critical not only for local livelihoods—from agriculture to emerging sectors like mining—but also for broader development goals, including tourism growth in nearby Calabar.
For now, Ugep and Idomi brace for tense nights under restriction, as authorities race to defuse a conflict that has lingered for years but now risks erupting into wider unrest.
