Six feared killed, several houses burnt in renewed Benue crisis

Six people were feared killed and several houses burnt on Sunday in a renewed communal crisis between Bonta community in Konshisha and Ukpute community in Oju Local Government Areas of Benue State.

Daily Trust reports that residents of the conflicting areas had on Tuesday last week deserted their homes following the renewed crisis over a land dispute.

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It was learnt that the fresh crisis in the affected communities of the two bordering local government areas began after a farmer from one of the border villages went to farm on a disputed piece of land which had been deliberately left fallow to avert a crisis between an Ukpute- Ainu, an Igede speaking community in Oju LGA and another Bonta village in Tiv speaking Konshisha LGA.

Witnesses earlier said that the move by the farmer was resisted by opposing villagers, a development which degenerated to verbal exchanges and sporadic gunshots in the affected communities.

Police Spokesperson in the state, DSP Catherine Anene, confirmed that there were fresh uprising in the areas but that the police immediately brought it under control.