Basa elite raises alarm, alleges planned ethnic cleansing

By Ochiaka Ugwu

The people of Basa ethnic group of Kogi and Nasarawa States under the umbrella body of Coalition of Basa Elite (CBE) has raised alarm over alleged planned ethnic cleansing against its own people by their perceived traditional enemy, Egburu ethnic nationality.
The group alleged the Egbura had stage-managed an armed robbery attack on 29th May, 2018 where one of their own out of nemesis was killed accidently and blamed the attack on Basa in order to provide a justification to kill them.
This was contained in a statement released in Abuja yesterday by the group and signed by its Publicity Secretary, Mr. Ndazhaga Nyizo.
According to the statement, “The coalition of Bassa Elites subscribes to peaceful approach to issues while it asserts the place and welfare of Bassa in Nigeria socio-political entity.
“This press release is necessitated by the latest developments in Kogi, and Nasarawa States following the communal clashes between the Bassa and their historical neighbours, the Egbura ethnic nationalities in Bassa and Toto LGAs of Kogi and Nasarawa States respectively. It is pertinent to also state that the Bassa in Okpareke in Koto-Karfe LGA were also attacked without any provocation.
“The Egbura had stage-managed an armed robbery attack on 29th May, 2018 where one of their own out of nemesis was killed accidently and blamed the attack on their innocent Bassa neigbours in order to provide a justification for them to go on a killing spree of the Bassa. And according to their evil script not less than 13 Bassa were sent to their untimely graves for what they do not know about”.
They however, demanded that Governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello deploys security to Koto-Karfe in order to save the lives of peace-loving Bassa, that the Ohimege of Koto-Karfe fishes out those, unscrupulous elements that are determined to ruin his frantic peace effort and hand them over to security agencies for culpable penalty, that the Government of Nasarawa state should actualize Bassa Turunku chiefdom which was created by 1998 Edict following the recommendation of Five (5) Government panels of inquiry.
The group also wants the killers of Mejida Peter to be apprehended in order to serve as a deterrent to intending murderers among the Egbura in Bassa LGA and that Governor Al-makura should have audience with Bassa leaders in Nasarawa State in order to note their own concerns.