The people of Egba Community in Agatu LGA of Benue State have sent a SAVE OUR SOUL (SOS) message to the state governor, Rev Fr Hyacinth Alia, over the continuous molestation and killing of their sons and daughters by their neighboring community in the area.
A community leader from Egba, Mr. Clement Oyaje, who spoke to newsmen in Makurdi on Sunday evening, also appealed to the Speaker of the State Assembly, Aondona Dajoh, the paramount ruler of Idoma land, the Ochidoma, His Royal Majesty, John Ogbaji, and other stakeholders in the state to wade into the crisis with the neighboring community.
While lamenting the frequent harassment and killing of innocent citizens, the Egba Community urged the governor to urgently intervene and free the community.
Oyaje stated that the Ologba community has allegedly barricaded all the routes linking the two communities, thereby preventing Egba people from gaining access to social and business activities with their neighbors, particularly Obagaji, the local government headquarters.
Egba and Ologba people have been entangled in a grisly war over the ownership of a fish pond for several decades.
The community leader said that an Egba youth identified as Ohili Iduh Angela was recently killed while returning from the Obagaji market with his wife on May 1, 2024.
Oyaje said that several Egba indigenes were also attacked, about ten of their motorcycles were burnt, and another 15 motorcycles were taken away.
Oyaje said Ohili and others were being escorted by an army lieutenant from Obagaji at the behest of the local government caretaker chairman, Yakubu Ochepo, before he was killed.
He said, “At the point of crossing, Ohili and the others at the wooden barriers, Ologba youths who were allegedly armed with machetes and other dangerous weapons intercepted them and launched an attack on Ohili, macheting him to death.
”Other people, including Ochefije Ochokwunu, Adoga Ankeli, and Adija Ibrahim, were inflicted with severe injuries.
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“Buying and selling have collapsed; there’s nothing like buying and selling. We’re inside a cage, no movement.
.”I can authoritatively tell you that the conflict between Egba and Ologba started in 1972 when a Makurdi Upper Area Court sitting in Otukpo passed judgment in favor of Egba as the rightful owners of the disputed fish pond.
Contacted, a youth leader from Ologba, Sunny Adaji, described the allegations by Egba people as a tissue of lies.
He said, “This is actually not true. Though there had been a dispute between Egba and Ologba people over the fish pond, Egba are always the cause of the dispute.
“Ologba people did not kill anyone on the 1st of May, 2024. We are law-abiding people and will therefore not resort to acts of rascality by blocking public roads, not to talk of taking human life,” Adaji said.
A former commissioner for Information, Culture, and Tourism in the state who is from the council area, Mike Inalegwu, confirmed that the crisis between Egba and Ologba communities started several decades ago and added that Ologba people have barricaded the road.
“It’s true that you cannot travel to your community after Ologba because youths in the community blocked the highway. This is affecting me seriously too because I have to pass through the community to my village.
Efforts to get Police Public Relations Officer, Catherine Anene, for her reaction were not successful as she did not pick her phone and did not respond to text messages.
