Dozens killed, several missing in fresh Benue communal clash

No fewer than 28 people, including women and children, were reportedly killed on Wednesday as a result of clashes in some communities in the Ado local government area of Benue State.

The clash was said to have started in Ebonyi State but extended to Benue communities.

There had been age long clashes between communities in Ebonyi and Benue states.

The Chairman of the local government, James Oche, who confirmed the incident to newsmen, said that the crisis resulted from the desecration of some people’s shrine in Ebonyi community.

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Oche said that the crisis started in Ebonyi State and spread to the Ezza community in Benue State.

He said: “The crisis is between Effunn and Ezza people, the crisis started in Ebonyi State and escalated to communities in Benue State.

“What I heard was that someone from one of the communities desecrated one of their shrines and instead of settling their crisis in Ebonyi they moved the crisis to Benue where over 28 people have been killed on this side as of the last count today.

“Women and children were killed and property worth several millions of naira destroyed. For instance, at Ulayi ward they sacked five of the 10 council wards and the second largest market in the council was destroyed.”

When contacted, the State Commissioner of Police, Wale Abass, said the crisis was more of Ebonyi people which spread to border communities on the Benue side.

He debunked the figure of casualties saying that no one except security men could access the troubled area, saying, “On Benue side three people have been killed”.