Some persons were on Wednesday injured with several houses burnt after residents clashed over a fishing pond at Wurukum, a suburb of Makurdi Local Government Area in Benue State.
Witnesses said tension began to build in the vicinity a few days ago among the Jukun and Tiv fishermen taking turns to fish in the water.
But trouble allegedly started after one of the sides broke the arrangements between the two sides.
A member representing Makurdi South at the state’s house of assembly, Terwase Aondoaka, told journalists in Makurdi that he had waded into the matter barely an hour before he again heard that some persons took laws into their own hands; setting houses ablaze.
The chairman of Makurdi LGA, Anthony Dyegeh, confirmed to newsmen that two people were injured while some houses including that of the kindred head of the area were torched.
The Kindred head of Wurukum, Chief Simon Ugondo Tov, whose house was torched, said all his valuables were destroyed but no member of his household was hurt.
When contacted, the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), SP Catherine Anene, in a statement said there was no crisis between the Tiv and Jukum.
Anene said some hoodlums tried to take advantage of the disagreement between the people by breaking into houses and stealing from them.
“Suspects took to their heels on sighting the police team; however, critical stakeholders who confirmed this story cooperated with the police in restoring peace in the area,” she said.
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