20 persons feared killed in Kogi communal clash

No fewer than 20 persons were feared dead in the early hours of yesterday following a renewed communual clash among the Igburra and Bassa Kwomu communities in Kogi State.A community leader in Sheria, one Mr. Gberegu, who said the Igburras drew the first blood, maintained that besides 20 lives being lost, several homes were razed.He regretted that the last attack comes amid a ceasefire call on January 8, 2019.

According to him, “the bridge linking Oguma and Sheria was completely razed down by Igburra militias while Sheria village has been deserted.He decried what he termed the “continued militancy of Igburra Mozum against the Bassa l Kwomus.”

Though it disagreed with the casualty figure, the state police command however confirmed the death of one person.The Police Public Relation Officer, William Aya, said the force swiftly responded to the situation by deploying a detachment of officers to restore sanity in the affected settlements.

The Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) pointed out that upon receipt of report of the feud, the security body mobilised men from the state’s anti-riot and conventional squads to the scene where they found one corpse that was immediately evacuated while the situation was brought under control.He said the commissioner of police (CP), Hakeem Busari, had also ordered for more officers to be drafted to complement the efforts of those already on ground.