Three separate communal crises in Gwer and Oju Local Government Areas (LGAs) of Benue State have reportedly claimed the lives of three persons leading to the imposition of a curfew on Oju town.
The warring parties also razed several houses and food barns in the affected communities leading to the injury and displacement of many.
It was gathered that the protracted crisis in Gwer LGA between neighbouring Mbasombo and Mbaivur communities erupted again Tuesday morning following a reprisal attack.
An indigene of the area who spoke on condition of anonymity disclosed that his private residence in the community which is less than 10km from Makurdi town was late last year razed in one of the ceaseless crises in the communities.
He explained that the crisis erupted today (Tuesday) after an indigene of Mbaivur was said to have been killed over the weekend by Mbasombo youths while working on his farm.
He explained that “on hearing about the murder of their kinsman Mbaivur youths ordered Mbasombo people to immediately produce the perpetrators of the act.
“Before that particular incident, five persons were also killed in Mbaivur community by Mbasombo youths earlier in the same crisis some weeks ago whose corpses were deposited at the mortuary.
“And after the murder of the man on his farm, the people decided to bury him alongside the five in the mortuary.
“It was during their burial, that those who supposedly killed the man came and started shooting sporadically in Mbaivur.
“However, the people succeeded in burying the man and the five corpses. Today they staged a reprisal on Mbasombo community, burning down houses and the market in the community. I would not know if lives were lost today, but some persons have been injured and people are fleeing their homes for fear of being killed. It is unfortunate that this crisis between brothers has defied every peace initiative”.
Meanwhile, the crisis in Oju LGA was reported to have claimed two lives after the youths of Ibilla and Oju communities engaged each other in a bloody fight over the citing of a private tertiary institution on a piece of land both parties were laying claims to.
It was gathered that an academic from the Ibilla community who is based in Australia Prof. Johnson Agbenya, had attracted the University to the area and the dispute over the land where the institution would be situation triggered the killing of two persons and the burning of several houses including cars and motorbikes.
“The youths, instead of celebrating the feat, took up arms against each other claiming that one community wanted to claim their land in the name of the University. And for no justifiable reasons they started burning down houses and two persons were said to have been killed and several others sustained injuries,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Benue State state government has imposed a dusk-to-dawn curfew on the communities while the police said they have also arrested 21 persons in connection with the crisis.
The state Deputy Governor, Dr Sam Ode who visited the affected communities, expressed shock at the level. of destruction in the communities.
While condemning the action of the youths, the Deputy Governor said a judicial commission of enquiry had been ordered to ascertain the cause of the incident.
Dr Ode said, “I am very sad about this. The killing and destruction is unacceptable. That Igede who are industrious people should witness this in their community is wrong and the government will ensure that the perpetrators of this act are punished.”
The First Class Chief of the area, Adirahu Igede, Oga Ero, expressed shock over the incident and thanked the Governor for his prompt response.
