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The Cross River curfew imposed on the disputed boundary between Ugep and Idomi has been extended by another week, as the state government works to settle a lingering land dispute without further bloodshed. The dusk-to-dawn order will now run until the end of June while officials finish mapping the contested land.
How long the order lasts
Under the extension, the restriction runs from 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday, 23 June, to 6:00 a.m. on Monday, 29 June 2026. The announcement was made by the Commissioner for Information, Dr Erasmus Ekpang, during a briefing with journalists in Calabar, the state capital.
Ekpang said the decision was taken to give the Surveyor General of the State and his technical team enough time to complete boundary demarcation on the disputed land. Keeping people off the streets at night, the government argued, would help prevent fresh clashes while that survey work continues.
What sparked the Cross River curfew
Ugep and Idomi, both in Yakurr Local Government Area, have a history of tension over land. The communities have clashed before, and the latest flare-up prompted the state to act quickly to stop the violence from spreading. The curfew was first introduced earlier and has now been rolled over as talks and technical work proceed.
Governor Bassey Otu’s administration has framed the measure as temporary and protective rather than punitive, stressing that the aim is to restore calm and allow a fair, evidence-based settlement of the boundary line. Security agencies have been deployed to enforce the order.
Why the boundary matters
Land disputes between neighbouring communities are among the most stubborn drivers of rural conflict in southern Nigeria. When ownership of farmland or a boundary is unclear, disagreements can turn deadly, displacing families and disrupting markets and schools. A formal survey is often the only way to draw a line both sides can accept.
By tying the curfew to the completion of the demarcation, the government has linked the easing of restrictions to a concrete milestone. Residents will be watching to see whether the survey delivers a result that holds, or whether the truce frays once movement returns to normal.
Life under the restriction
A dusk-to-dawn curfew limits night-time movement, trading and travel, which can be costly for farmers and small traders who depend on early-morning and late-evening activity. Authorities typically allow essential services and emergencies, but the disruption is real for ordinary people caught between two communities in dispute.
Community and religious leaders on both sides have a role to play too. Lasting peace usually depends not only on an official boundary line but on dialogue, compensation where needed, and a willingness among neighbours to accept the result. State officials have urged residents to remain calm and to report any threat to security agencies rather than take the law into their own hands.
Viorah TV is reporting this developing security story without taking sides. The government says the goal is peace and a clear boundary; the test will be whether both communities accept the outcome once the curfew is lifted at the end of June.
