Two Middle-Aged Men Die After Machete Fight in Cross River Over Plantain Dispute

Two middle-aged men lost their lives during the weekend in Odukpani, a community close to Calabar in Cross River State, after a violent confrontation involving machetes over a farm dispute.

The fatal incident occurred in Akpap-Okoyong, a community within Odukpani Local Government Area of the state, where both men reportedly sustained severe machete injuries during a heated altercation.

A resident of the area, Ettenma, who witnessed the aftermath, identified the deceased individuals as Edet and Effiong.

According to his account, the conflict began when Effiong went to his farm and discovered that a bunch of plantain had been cut and removed without his consent. While expressing his anger loudly, someone allegedly informed him that Edet had been seen carrying a bunch of plantain from the direction of the farm.

Following this information, Effiong reportedly went to Edet’s residence armed with a machete to confront him over the missing plantain. The discussion soon escalated into a physical confrontation, during which machetes were used by both men.

Ettenma explained that Effiong, acting in anger, first inflicted machete cuts on Edet. In response, Edet picked up a machete that was beside him and struck Effiong. Before other members of the community could intervene or stop the fight, both men had already sustained deep and critical injuries.

After the altercation, the injured men were taken to a nearby health centre. However, they reportedly could not receive adequate medical care due to the lack of proper facilities and equipment needed to handle the severity of their wounds.

As a result, both Edet and Effiong later died from excessive blood loss and dehydration, according to the eyewitness.

The tragic development has reportedly plunged the Akpap-Okoyong community into deep mourning.

When contacted, the spokesperson of the Cross River State Police Command, Akata, confirmed that investigations were ongoing. He stated that authorities were working to determine the exact circumstances surrounding the violent confrontation and why no immediate intervention occurred during the machete attack.