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10 feared killed in Rivers, Benue Kaduna states

By Saxone Akhaine (Northern Bureau Chief), Kelvin Ebiri (Port Harcourt) and Joseph Wantu (Makurdi)
27 September 2016   |   1:22 am
No fewer than 10 lives have been feared lost to clashes and attacks in Rivers, Kaduna and Benue states. In Okposi and Obaji communities of Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni Local Government Area (ONELGA)
herdsmen

herdsmen

No fewer than 10 lives have been feared lost to clashes and attacks in Rivers, Kaduna and Benue states. In Okposi and Obaji communities of Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni Local Government Area (ONELGA), six persons reportedly died following a supremacy battle between members of two rival cult groups, Greenlanders and Icelanders.

An abducted female National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) simply identified as Helen from Kogi State was yesterday rescued in Ikwerre Local Council of Rivers State.Sources in Okposi and Obagi told The Guardian the cult clash was precipitated Greenlanders’ invasion last weekend of the two communities in which six targets were killed. Four in Okposi and two in Obagi.

The latest fight comes some days after some cultists accepted the state’s amnesty programme.Contacted, the spokesman for the Rivers State Police Command, Omoni Nnamdi, feigned ignorance of the killings.A former council chairman, Nwanosike Sam, said the captive was rescued by the police around 3:00 a.m. yesterday in Omademe community.

In Kaduna, three people were reportedly killed by an armed gang suspected to be Fulani herdsmen in Dogon Daji village during an attack while also torching part of Antang on Godogodo-Gidan-Way in Jema’a Local Council of Southern Kaduna.

However, the acting council chairman, Humble Katuka, said only two died in Dogon Daji with two houses burnt in Antang.“Report reaching me said that two people were killed in Dogon Daji, while two houses in Atang were burnt,” he remarked.Godogodo community had come under intense siege since July by suspected Fulani herdsmen, whom the inhabitants said, were pushing them out since most of the affected villages had allegedly been designated as cattle grazing reserves.

A source in Dogon Daji village said: “This morning (yesterday), a group of herdsmen attacked our village. They killed three people and injured about six people.“The armed herdsmen moved to Antang and burnt part of the village and injured some people. We are yet to get help from anyone.”

But the military said it repelled attack at the Kaduna community. A statement by Col. Sani Kukasheka Usman, acting Director Army Public Relations, read: “Gallant troops of 1 Division Nigerian Army in a joint operation with personnel of Nigeria Police and local vigilantes repelled a coordinated attack by gunmen on Godogodo town of Kaduna State.”

Meanwhile fear has gripped the people of Mbayongo District of Katsina Ala Local Council of Benue State as unidentified gunmen last Sunday killed their district head, Chief Awuhe Alev.

The state’s Police Public Relations Officer, Moses Yamu, who confirmed the killing, said dozens of armed riot policemen had been deployed to safeguard lives.

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