One killed, two injured in Benue communal clash

One person was reportedly killed with two others injured following a renewed communal clash that erupted on Saturday in Tyo -Mu settlement of Makurdi , Benue State .

Several houses and properties worth millions of naira were burnt while several people have fled the troubled settlement .

Some residents of the area were sighted leaving the settlement with mattresses and other domestic equipment and heading towards communities within the Nigerian AirForce Base , Makurdi to take refuge.

It was gathered that trouble started when an Ihyarev man ( an indigene) attacked one person they tagged as Kparev ( a settler ) , who was found moulding blocks at the bank of River Benue which is said to belong to the indigenes .

According to a native who identified himself as Msughter , an indigene had accosted the settler why he came to the river bank to mould blocks as the community leaders had forbidden people from moulding blocks in the area .

“ The settler did not give the indigene any response. In the process , another indigene shot him ( settler ) in the leg ,” Msughter said , adding that the gunshot attracted the attention of troops of Operation Whirl Stroke who were stationed around the area .

He said, “ The prompt intervention of troops of OPWS saved the day , though before the arrival of the troops , one person had been shot dead and two others injured .

“ This crisis had been on between the indigenes and settlers all of Tiv extraction over ownership of land in this area ; many people had lost their lives in the crisis.

“ Just last week , a senior officer with the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps , Benue State Command, was killed and now another crisis has started again. ”

When contacted , the Force Commander , Operation Whirl Stroke , Major General Adeyemi Yekini , confirmed the incident and said his troops were on the ground.
“ The situation is under control and we are on the ground to make sure no group rises up against another , ” he said.

Also, the spokesperson for the Benue Police Command, Catherine Anene , confirmed the renewed clash , stating that the command had drafted police personnel to the area to avert further crisis.

She , however, said no casualty was recorded and no arrest had been made but said the command had commenced investigation to ascertain the cause of the crisis.