NBC requests backing to draw interstate boundary between Cross River, Ebonyi.

By Hannah Nathan, Warri

Stakeholders in Cross River and Ebonyi have been requested by the National Line Commission (NBC) to support ongoing efforts to draw the interstate line.

At a joint meeting of officials from both states on Monday in Abuja, the commission’s Director-General, Mr Adamu Adaji, appealed to address the ongoing interstate boundary conflict.

Adaji stated that the purpose of the conference was to assess the boundary’s current state and decide on the next steps in defining and delineating it.

He said that the dispute over the states’ interstate boundaries has been going on for a while.

He continued by saying that because of the land dispute and the dual nature of indigenous settlers, there is often confusion and unrest in the border communities.

He referred to it as one of Nigeria’s troublesome interstate boundaries with a high potential for jeopardizing peace and blamed the continuous confrontations on the non-determination and demarcation of the boundary.

Both former president Olusegun Obasanjo and his vice, Mr. Atiku Abubakar, had to step in at different points to address the boundary dispute.

To keep calm, the Federal Government was also forced to deploy military forces to the boundary areas in 2005.