Sad News! Seven-year-old killed, hundreds displaced in communal clash in Benue State

A seven-year-old girl was on Monday burnt to death just as hundreds of people were displaced after their houses were burnt down.

It was gathered that the deed was done by suspected Ihyarev youths at Baa-Ihyarev, after Abinsi town, along Gboko Road in the Guma Local Government Area of Benue State.

PUNCH Metro was told by the displaced people, who were mostly women, children and the aged, that the youths that burnt down the houses were sent by a prominent politician, who was a governorship candidate of a party in the state.

It was also gathered that the affected people were mostly Kparevs.

Our correspondent reports that smoke was billowing from houses that were razed down in the area. It was also observed that property and farm crops worth millions of naira were also razed.

It was also observed that selected houses belonging to the Kparevs were set ablaze while others that were supposedly owned by the Ihyarev people were left untouched.

An eyewitness told PUNCH Metro that the youths engaged the police that were drafted to the area in a shootout. It could, however, not be ascertained the number of casualties or people arrested as of press time.

Although PUNCH Metro could not readily get the name of the child that was burnt to death, the name of her father was given as Nyongucho Dzevev.

Another eyewitness, Ashebe Abayam, said, “For trying to save their belongings from the fire, the rampaging youths inflicted machete cuts on two of their victims, Bem Aondona and Terna Tyoule. They are receiving treatment at an undisclosed hospital in the area.”

Abayam explained that their attackers had started setting houses ablaze as early as 5am on Monday.

Tyowua Ibi, whose house and property were also razed, said he settled in the area in 1961, adding that there were others that settled in the area much earlier.

The Police Public Relations Officer for the state, Austin Ezeani, who confirmed the death of the girl, said the police had been drafted to the area to maintain peace.

The prominent politician in the area distanced himself from the carnage. He told our correspondent on the telephone that he was in Germany and had nothing to do with what had happened.