From Uche Nnorom, Makurdi
Scores of persons have been reportedly killed while over 40 houses burnt down and properties worth millions of naira destroyed yesterday during a communal crisis in Mbayion, Gboko local government area.
An eye witness who pleaded anonymity told Peoples Daily that the prolonged crisis took a dangerous dimension as graves were destroyed, corpses exhumed, cash crops, economic trees and farmland worth millions of naira destroyed even as hundreds of persons are displaced.
According to him, trouble started when the family of Ormo Juku of Mbajov, Mbaasakera, Mbayion in Gboko local government area discovered that the grave of their late father Gesa Ormo who was buried on Sunday 22nd, October, 2017 was destroyed, his body exhumed and taken to unknown destination. This is just as one person was said to have been murdered by the Igyura family of Mbaasaya.
A victim, Mr. Iorgema Ormo who spoke on behalf of the family said the crisis has been happening for many years.
All effort to get the comment of Benue State Police Public Relations’ Officer ASP Moses Yamu failed as several calls to his cell phone indicated that he was out of service area.
