Communal disagreement claims 3 lives in Benue

At least, three persons have been killed in a yet-to-be established disagreement involving two communities in Agatu and Apa local government areas of Benue State.

Daily Trust gathered that the affected neighbouring communities – Odejo in Agatu LGA and Ikobi in Apa LGA had over the years coexisted peacefully and never had any history of crisis amongst them.

It was learnt that things fell apart at the weekend when the villagers on both sides allegedly traded allegations following rumours of an attack.

A source from the Ikobi community said three people were killed in the early hours of Sunday by alleged armed men from Odejo who attacked the villagers for no just cause.

“They burnt down several houses and killed three of our people.

“They were gunmen from Odejo, a village in Agatu which shares boundary with Ikobi and not herders as insinuated in some quarters,” the source said.

But, President of Agbaduma Development Community, Onehi Damian, told our correspondent by telephone that the Odejo village had never been at war with any of their neighbours, including Ikobi in Apa.

Damian said the initial rumours accused the Odejo people of leading herders to attack Ikobi, then another version alleged that the affected villagers were attacked by cultists.

“As this moment I speak to you, we are yet to establish the actual cause or who they were that attacked the Ikobi people.

“We have never had standing or hidden issues with Ikobi people to warrant any form of crisis.

“These allegations are unfounded, false, unattainable and have no basis.

“There is no fight between Odejo and Ikobi,” Damian added.

He also alleged that in the midst of the confusion, a man whose father hails from Odejo and mother, an indigene of Ikobi, was killed on Sunday morning by the Ikobi people who arrested him and hacked him to death.

Damian said the deceased had heard rumours that Ikobi was under herders attack and that he went there unarmed to rescue his mother alongside other family members to safety when his own maternal relatives mobbed him to death.

When contacted, the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) in the state, DSP Catherine Anene, confirmed the incident, saying however that two people lost their lives in the crisis.

Anene attributed the incident to communal clash between both communities.

Also, the Force Commander, Operation Whirl Stroke (OPWS), Major General Adeyemi Yekini, told newsmen in Makurdi that his troop deployed to the troubled area had quelled the rage.