One dead, several houses burnt in Benue communal clash

One person has been reportedly killed in a renewed fight between the Mbasombo and Mbaivur communities of Ikpayongo in the Gwer East local government area of Benue State.

Several houses, including a market square, were also burnt down in a reprisal attack early hours of Tuesday.

Our correspondent learnt that the crisis between Mbaivur and Mbasombo communities was an age long one until the renewed crisis that started last Friday.

An eyewitness told our correspondent that Mbaivur people, whose son was reportedly killed last Friday by people suspected to be from Mbasombo, stormed the latter community and burnt down several houses.

An eyewitness who pleaded not to be mentioned confirmed the attack on Mbasombo to our correspondent on Tuesday.

He said, “When Mbaivur people discovered the death of their son,  ‘the people demanded that the perpetrators be brought to book within two days.

“As of this morning, the Mbasombo people were not able to produce those who killed the young farmer, the Mbaivur people went on a reprisal attack.

The eyewitness further said that five of Mbaivur people had been killed earlier before the death of the young farmer last Friday on his farm.

“The corpses were kept in the mortuary, and when this man was killed on his farm last Friday, Mbaivur people removed the other corpses from the mortuary and went and buried them.

When contacted, the Police  Public Relations Officer, SP Catherine Anene, confirmed Tuesday’s incident and said that several houses were burnt, but there were no casualties.

“Yes, there was a crisis in the area (Ikpayongo) several houses were burnt but policemen have been dispatched to the area to maintain peace,” Anene said.

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