Three people have been confirmed dead following a violent clash that erupted between worshippers of the United Methodist Church in Nigeria (UMCN) and the Global Methodist Church (GMC) in Taraba State.
  
The crisis, The Guardian gathered, occurred on Sunday in Karim-Lamido Local Council after a faction reportedly unsealed a church building meant for service.
  
The act provoked the other faction, which did the same, and led to the fatal confrontation.
  
Confirming the incident, the Police Public Relations Officer in the state, Abdullahi Usman, stated: “It has been confirmed that there was a crisis in Karim-Lamido local government council, which led to the killing of three people.”
  
He added that six suspects had been arrested in connection with the violence, stating that security measures had also been put in place to prevent further clashes.
  
The conflict stems from a protracted leadership dispute between the UMCN and the GMC, which recently emerged as a breakaway faction. 
  
The state government had previously sealed off all the church properties to douse the tension.
  
Some worshippers, who spoke on the development, expressed frustration with the government’s seeming inability to resolve the dispute, which they argued, was undermining peace and security in the state.