BENUE COMMUNITY UNDER SIEGE AS MILD CLASH BETWEEN A TIV & A JUKUN YOUTH

According to reports, over one hundred houses were set ablaze in a clash between Tiv and Jukun youths at Abinsi, Guma Local Government Area (LGA) of Benue State on Thursday night.

However, sources told newsmen that two persons may be feared dead as a result of the clash.

                   

Even though, the circumstance surrounding the clash were still not clear during investigative reporting by journalists, it was gathered that the crisis started with a quarrel that ensued between a Tiv youth and a Jukun youth.

It was learnt that the quarrel took another dimension when friends and relations on both sides took sides with their kith and kin.

                   

According to reports, the clash which started at about 5pm on Thursday was sparked off at a drinking joint in the area and escalated into a tribal skirmish and as the fight ensued, it resulted into burning of houses.

Most residents were said to have fleed the area yesterday, for fear of being attacked, even though security had been beefed up in the area.

Meanwhile, there has not been any official confirmation from the police of deaths recorded in the incident.

In another development, Governor Samuel Ortom, who visited the troubled spot on Friday to assess the level of damage warned that his administration would not condone any act that would lead to destruction of lives and property.

While he urged security agencies to mop up illegal arms in the state and around the area, he directed security agencies to apprehend and bring to book those responsible for the crisis.

The governor also warned that he would dethrone any traditional ruler aiding and abetting crisis in the area and indeed the state.

He was quoted saying, “Under my watch, no tribe will be allowed to harass another resident irrespective of where they come from; be they indigenes or not. We will protect everybody that lives here so long as they live within the ambit of the laws. Any traditional ruler that would be found shielding or abetting criminal elements would be deposed of his position immediately.

“I am going to set a panel on Monday to look into the perennial crises in the area so as to ascertain the root causes of the crises. The panel will also find out who and who were involved in the crisis. We want to put the crisis to a permanent end.”

Earlier, the District Head of Abinsi, Chief Christopher Abeke, told governor Ortom that what informed the crisis was a misunderstanding between two young boys: a Tiv and Jukun youth.