Three people have been abducted during a communal clash involving two communities in Tyo Mu, a suburb of Makurdi, Benue State.
Several houses were also reportedly burnt during the clash, which resulted in youths blocking the Makurdi-Gboko highway on Thursday.
It was gathered that the two communities, Iparev and Iharev, known as settlers and indigenes, respectively, renewed the age-long land dispute between them on Wednesday.
PUNCH Metro learnt that one of the groups invaded the other community, burnt down houses and abducted three youths.
Following the attack on Wednesday, the other community thronged the Makurdi-Gboko highway to protest the abduction of the three youths.
The protest was said to have caused gridlock in the early hours of Thursday.
The state police spokesperson, Catherine Anene, said the government and the police had intervened in the crisis.
Anene said, “On September 22, 2022, around 7.30am, information was received that aggrieved youths of Tse-Sho village blocked Makurdi-Gboko Road. A team of police detectives deployed in the area gathered from eyewitnesses that on the same date at about 01.30am, armed men, suspected to be a disputant group in a lingering land dispute, invaded the community and burnt down some houses; they also abducted three persons in the community and took them to an unknown destination.
“It will be recalled that there have been disagreements between two parties, tagged settlers and indigenes, within the area. Series of interventions by the police and the Benue State Government brought about the peace that has been enjoyed in the last two years before this renewed attack.”
The police, however, advised members of the community to remain calm and await findings from the ongoing investigation.
