Ben Peters, Abuja
The people of Otukpo and Ijegwu in Benue State are currently at war over a high tension wire supplying light to Obi and Uju local government areas of the state.
The violent clash between the two communities has claimed no fewer than ten lives from the Igede side.
Also, no fewer than 20 persons are currently hospitalised and property worth millions of Naira destroyed.
Trouble between Otukpo and Igede communities started when some boys from Otukpo went and cut off the high tension wire supplying electricity to Obi and Oju local government areas.
According to an eye witness, who simply identified himself as Joe, some Igede boys had gone to the boarder town between Otukpo and Igede to find out what happened to the light, only for the people from Otukpo to start shorting at them, killing three persons on the spot .
Another eye witness, Urube, said, “Igede hasn’t gotten light nearly two weeks and as a peace-loving people, the Ito youths in that axis set out peacefully to protest the situation after all efforts to get the attention of PHCN officials in their axis proved abortive. However, the peaceful protesters were met with brutal force by their Idoma brothers and were denied inspection of the poles, an action which infuriated the Ito youth.
“As they were forced to leave the premises, fracas erupted and the situation degenerated to a full-blown riot between the two groups, which led the Idomas to bring out guns and opened fire on the Obi youth. They shot sporadically and left many of the peaceful protesters dead and a large number of them injured.
“To put an end to the situation, a delegation from the Obi LGA youths were sent to them but were mistaken for fighters and on sighting them, the Idoma communities again opened fire on them, shooting at them as they would at bandits.
“After the intervention of the security forces, Obi protesters returned home only for their four communities of Ijegwu, Itakpa, Opirikwu and Okpokwu to be attacked and Ijegwu, particularly burnt into ashes.
“Right now, the four communities in Obi are under the siege of the Idoma people. Nine Igede people have already been confirmed dead from the attacks and property worth millions of naira destroyed.”
All efforts to reach the leaders of both ethnic groups were met with full resistance.
Also, several calls put across to the police public relations officer in Benue State were not responded to.