MAKURDI—Barely a week after a four-year-old boy was burnt to death in a communal crisis between settlers and indigenous people of Akumba village in Guma Local Government Area of Benue State, the crisis escalated early Sunday morning with the burning of over 200 houses and huts in the community.

The renewed crisis in the community, which borders the home village of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, governorship candidate, Mr. Terhemen Tarzoor, is also less than 10 kilometres from Makurdi, the state capital.

When Vanguard visited the community yesterday, the helpless victims, including women and children, who had deserted their homes, were seen loitering around neighbouring villages without shelter or food.

Invasion

Narrating the ordeal of the people, one of the victims, (names withheld) said the settlers, most of who were from Vandeikya Local Government Area, stormed the village with mercenaries at 6am, shooting and burning houses and property.

He said: “This crisis has been on for some time now. We were assured by our traditional ruler that the matter has been resolved, but were taken aback when early Sunday morning they (the settlers) mobilized fighters who came shooting and burring down everything in our village.

“Go further into the villages and you will discover that over 200 houses, including motorbi-kes and cars have been razed.

“We suspect the crisis may have taken a political dimension because this is the home community of PDP governorship candidate, and we gathered that the attackers mobilized support from Tarka Local Government, which is a stronghold of the opposition.

“After the attack, they moved back there to take cover.

“From all indications they want to ensure that we do not mobilize votes for our son, who is the governorship candidate of the PDP.

“This is a grand plan because the same scenario is playing out in Agatu, where the deputy governorship candidate of PDP, Mr. John Ngbede, hails from.”

Tarzoor begs for peace

Reacting to the development, Mr. Tarzoor, who undertook an on-the-spot assessment of the community, pleaded with the feuding parties to sheathe their sword and live in peace.

He said: “Nothing whatsoever should divide us; people who have lived together in peace over the years should not, for any reason, take up arms against each other. In the interest of our children and the future generation, I plead that they live in peace.”

Reacting, the Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO, Assistant Superintendent, ASP, Austin Ezeani, said the Police had beefed up security in the community to check an escalation of the crisis.