20 Killed In Kogi Communal Clashes

The communal clash between the people of Egburra Mozum and Bassa Kwomu in Kogi State has claimed about 20 lives in Bassa Local Government Council of Kogi State in the early hours of yesterday.
The two communities in the last two years have been fighting over supremacy.
A community leader in Sheria, Mr Gberegu disclosed to newsmen that the Egburras had in the early hours of yesterday allegedly attacked Bassa Kwomu when no fewer than twenty people were killed while several houses have been razed.
This, he said was in spite of earlier call for seize fire on 8th January.
According to him,” the bridge linking Oguma and Sheria was completely razed down by Igburra militias while Sheria village has been deserted.
He decried the continued militancy of Igburra Mozum against the Bassa Kwomu.
Meanwhile, the Kogi State Police Command spokesman, Mr. William Aya, while confirming the incident said that the sate command had received a report of clashes in the area and responded by drafting officers from the state anti-riot squad and conventional police and found one unknown corpse which was evacuated immediately while the situation was brought under control.
He said that the state Police Commissioner, Hakeem Busari has also ordered more officers to be drafted to the area to complement the efforts of those already on ground.
However, the state police command confirmed the death of one person in the clash.
The Police Public Relations Officer, William Aya, said that the unknown corpse was discovered after a detachment of officers was drafted to the area in response to reported clashes between the two communities.
Meanwhile, Benue youths in their thousands, yesterday, stormed major streets of Makurdi to protest against the move to militarize the state in the coming Governorship and State Assembly elections.
The youths carried placards, some of which read “we say no to the militarization of Benue”, where was the military when our people were butchered by armed herdsmen”, “don’t use the military to rig Benue elections”, APC doesn’t drag the military into politics.”
Recall that the Coalition of United Political Parties (CUPP) had alleged that the Buhari-led All Progressives Congress (APC) government plans to unleash mayhem during Saturday’s Governorship and Houses of Assembly elections.
The founding member of the Movement Against Fulani Occupation (MAFO), Pastor Dave Ogbole, who spoke on behalf of the youths said that they were aware of the plot to send top military personnel for the coming Saturday election.
The CUPP National Spokesman, Imo Ugochinyere, in a statement, last Wednesday, said Nasarawa, Akwa Ibom, Sokoto, Anambra, Rivers, Taraba, Abia, Gombe and Delta states are to be “flooded with Mobile Police Officers from various parts of the country specifically for the purpose of helping the APC rig the elections and return the states to the APC.”
“In furtherance, the APC have resolved that polls will be shifted or disrupted in Rivers, Akwa Ibom, Delta, Enugu, Ebonyi, Benue and Taraba states so that the military can concentrate on those states on the rescheduled dates.”