Fresh Benue clash claims ex army general, 7 others

From Uche Nnorom, Makurdi

A retired Major General, Lawrence Ugbo was yesterday evening assassinated in his country home, Ugboju Otukpo local government area.
Peoples Daily learnt from a reliable source that the late general’s death is as a result of persistent rift between two brothers in Ondo, Ugboju Benjamin Udenyi and Ijachi Udenyi that also, led to the death of eight persons in the area.
Major Ugbo, a former state chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, according to the source, was killed, his body dumped in his car and set ablaze.
Trouble was said to have started when some loyalists of Benjamin Ijachi, a member of the PDP attacked a group loyal to Ijachi Udenyi, a member of the All Progressives Congress, APC and former caretaker chairman of Otukpo Local Government Council on Wednesday, injuring many.
As a result of that, Ijachi, popularly known as Kpem, mobilised his loyalists and launched a reprisal attack in the community yesterday shooting at anybody on sight.
At the end of the day, eight persons lay dead, including retired Major Ugbo and their bodies have been deposited at the mortuary at the General Hospital Otukpo.
When contacted, the state police spokesman, ASP Moses Yamu, confirmed the incident but said only four persons were killed while four others sustained injuries.
Yamu who attributed the incident to the persistent crisis between the two brothers revealed that Benjamin Udenyi was already in the police custody while Ijachi Udenyi is yet to be apprehended.
On his part, the chairman of Otukpo local government area, Hon. George Alli who also confirmed the incident however, faulted the claims in some quarters that the clash was political.
“Several persons, including Maj Gen Lawrence Ugbo were killed and his body burnt to ashes. The clash has nothing to do with politics, it was a land tussle that caused the incident”, he said.
Meanwhile several residents of the affected community were said to have fled their homes for fear of further violence.