… Many feared dead, houses burnt in Bassa/Igburra
By Abdul Sadiq Oguma
The Kogi State Police Command says normalcy has returned to the troubled Igburra and Bassa Community in Bassa LGA of Kogi State.
The Police Public Relations Officer, SP Williams Ayah made the disclosure in a chat with Thenigerianpost, said a deployment of Army and the Police has been sent to the area.
He however denied any casualty following the renewed attack.
Recall that a fresh crisis erupted between Igburra and Bassa militia in Bassa Local Government Area of Kogi State.
Our correspondent gathered that the Local Government Area had for long being a theatre of crisis but was witnessing peace in the last two years due to the security intervention of Governor Yahaya Bello’s administration.
Our source hinted that the renewed crisis erupted on Monday May 30, when two Bassas were alledgedly killed at a farm at Uga-Cheure near Oguma and Korumu near Udogbo in Bassa Local Government Area.
Our source further gathered that due to past hostilities between Igburra Mozum people and Bassas in the area, the Bassas were said to have believed that it was Igburra Mozum people who carried out the killings even though the perpetrators were not apprehended at the scene of the crime. In spite of this misgivings Bassas were said to have reported the incident to the Divisional Police post at Oguma and remained calm.
While the dust of the killings were yet to settle two Bassas were again alledged to have killed at a farm in Sheria and Korumu near Odugbo respectively on thursday of the same week being June 2, 2022.The attackers were also not identified.
In the morning of friday June 3, 2022, Udogbo town was attacked by unknown gunmen burning houses and killing whosoever they encountered on their way.
In the early hours of Saturday June 4 another crisis erupted at Udogbo with burning of houses by unknown men.
Security agents – the police and the army stationed at Oguma swung into action to quell the crisis of both Monday May 30 and thursday June 2, 2022.
By Saturday morning both the police and a detachment of the army moved to Udogbo town to repell the invading gunmen.
Mr Keke Kaku who spoke with our reporter at Oguma said Bassa claimed since the crisis erupted on monday six of their people have been killed by the invading gun men.
Another source which claimed anonymity however said not less than eighteen persons have lost their lives from both the Igburras and the Bassas with properties worth millions of naira burnt to ashes in Udogbo town.
The Member Representing the Good people of Bassa LGA Constituency at the Kogi State House of Assembly Hon Ranyi Daniya has however called on the people of Bassa LGA to maintain peace.
He made the call as a result of recent attacks by criminal agents in some areas of Gbechi, Lando and Koromu all in Bassa Kwomu district.
Hon Daniya also called on the security agents to leave no stone unturned in arresting the perpetrators of this dastardly act.
He reaffirm the zero tolerance of any form of criminality of the administration His Excellency Alhaji Yahaya Bello.
In the same vain, the Executive Chairman of Bassa Hon Muktar Shuaibu have also visited the affected areas and called for calmness of all citizens to allow security agencies to do their work. That citizens should be vigilant and give relevant information to security operatives to ensure the perpetrators are brought to justice.