Major Ugbor, 5 others killed in Benue communal clash

Aformer chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Benue State, Major Lawrence Ugbor (rtd) and five others were yesterday killed in a communal clash between two communities in Ugboju district of Otukpo Local Government Area in the state.

Daily Trust reports that in February last year, three people lost their lives in a similar rivalry between the two villages of Ondo and Ogobia in the Ugboju district following alleged land dispute which snowballed into crisis between suspected members of PDP and All Progressives Congress (APC).

It was alleged by the locals that three people whose names were given as Okwoche Omale, Andrew Adaji and Audu Okpachu Okopi were killed in the process of that crisis while many houses were burnt and residents fled their homes.

The villagers however told our correspondent that fresh crisis erupted yesterday at 5:00 am when unknown gunmen invaded the Ondo community, killed people, burnt houses and looted property.

It was also gathered that the retired military officer Ugbor was killed, dumped in his car and set ablaze, just as a retired police officer whose name was given as Oglegba Uja as well as four others were killed, bringing the number to six.

By the time of this report, residents of both communities were said to have fled their homes.

The Police Spokesman, Moses Yamu, confirmed that four dead bodies had been recovered, and that although there were rumours that a certain retired Army major and a retired police officer were among the dead, the police had not yet confirmed the identities of the dead.

He said four people were wounded and one John Odey arrested in connection with the trouble.

The police spokesman added that the cause of the renewed crisis had not been ascertained but there were indications that it might be those who sparked off the trouble in February last year.

Daily Trust recalls that the last year crisis stemmed from an old rivalry between same family in the affected communities mainly over land dispute but which took on political colouration in the wake of the Benue South senatorial rerun election.