15 Killed in Ebira Communal Clash

Posted by: Dr Joseph Ozigis Akomod, Ph.D.

This day/Distributed by African Global Media ( AllAfrica.com)

The Chairman of Okehi Local Government area of Kogi State, Mallam AbdulRahman Danga has put the death toll in last week's communal crisis between the Emani and Ohionwa clans in Ihima district at 15.
The council chief confessed that the figure were those that were seen and enumerated officially and added that there are reports of casualties that were not reported.
Danga who gave the official casualty figure to Governor Ibrahim Idris on Sunday who was on spot assessment visit to the crisis- prone area, lamented that the crisis has made the people of the area destitute as they abandoned their home stead to live elsewhere.
But the governor who regretted the communal crisis vowed not to spare anybody linked with the crisis no matter the status or political standing of the patrons of the crisis.
The governor's riot act was on the heels of the allegations that his deputy, Phillips Salawu who hails from the community and the embattled Ohinoyi of Ebiraland, Alhaji Ado Ibrahim might have been part of the crisis as a continuation of their struggle for the control of the area.
Idirs said that the crisis was avoidable if the people had not listened to rumour or hearsay or had embraced dialogue.
Idris who fell short of describing the act as influenced by madness said, "it is easy to destroy but hard to reconstruct. You can destroy about 100 houses but you cannot build those 100 houses in 20 years. Why then do we need to destroy our property and burn our houses?"
The governor ruled out any payment of compensation to the victims of the crisis, saying doing that would be tantamount to encouraging the perpetrators.
He lamented that the crisis was a contradiction of the peace move initiated by the state government to bring the warring clans together.
Idiris who was shocked after going through the troubled areas and listened to the explanation of Dnga burst out, "enough is enough. Government will not take kindly to these senseless and mindless destruction of lives and property in the name of pursuing a communal agenda that has no basis".
The council chief who conducted the governor round the trouble areas hinted that the names of the perpetrators from the two clans have been compiled and submitted to security agencies for appropriate action.
The council chief added that the hoodlums approached the crisis in a war manner, inscribing the name of a conqueror clan on a conquered place.
"Your Excellency Sir, it is our belief that if the perpetrators are arrested, there will be peace in Ihima and that is why we are leaving no stone unturned to ensure that the perpetrators face the music."
Copyright This Day. Distributed by All Africa Global Media(AllAfrica.com)