At least 50 people lost their liveswith property worth 500 million naira (about 3.7 million US dollars) destroyed in a renewed communal clash in Cross River State, southeast Nigeria, local newspaper This Day reported on Monday.

The clash, which erupted last week between the people of Boje and Iso Bendeghe in Boki Council Area, also affected four houses said to belong to the family of the state chairman of the ruling People's Democratic Party Soni Abang.

The cause of the clash between the two neighboring communities started as a result of the controversial death of Luke Bekom, a police sergeant, from Iso Bendeghe, but serving in Boje.

Bekom's death was allegedly linked to the fact that he volunteered to testify against the member representing the area inthe State Assembly, Alex Ebu.

The bloody clash could have been averted if there was prompt response by the police as it was gathered that information to the police was sent early enough, the report said.

As a multinational country in Africa, Nigeria has a growing population of over 130 million belonging to 373 ethnic groups. Clashes between different ethnic, religious and political groups break out frequently.

Official statistics show that since Nigeria returned to civil rule in 1999 after 15 years of military dictatorship, more than 10,000 Nigerians have been killed in ethnic, religious and political violence.

Source: Xinhua