Panic-stricken
residents of Obi, headquarters of Obi local government area of Nasarawa State,
yesterday fled their homes as Eggon and Alago natives clashed.
Trouble
allegedly started when some Eggon youths were apprehended on their way to an
undisclosed mission in Awe local government area by security operatives in
collaboration with some youths of Alago extraction.
It was
gathered that the fracas was sparked off by a tip-off by some Alago youths in
Assakio in the neighbouring Lafia local government area who alerted their
kinsmen in Obi that some Eggon militiamen had taken off from Assakio to Obi to
unleash terror on some Awe communities.
Consequently,
some Alago youths and security operatives in Obi arrested two suspected Eggon
militiamen and set their vehicle ablaze even as some of them were said to have
escaped to the nearby bush.
The
development, according to sources, did not go down well with the Eggon people
of Tudun Adabu community who felt that their kinsmen were innocently arrested,
and they blocked the Obi-Lafia highway. They were said to have taken hostage
two Alago youths to negotiate for the release of their detained brothers.
It was
learnt that an Eggon man was attacked in Obi and severely beaten by some Alago
youths, a development which sparked off a reprisal leading to the destruction
of houses in Odobu, an Alago settlement.
One of
the victims, who craved anonymity, said that the paramount ruler of Obi, HRH
Dangiwa Ogiri, had accepted to replace the burnt vehicle in the interest of
peace but his efforts could not yield the desired result following the attack
on the Eggon man in the market.
“I
managed to escape being killed. As I am speaking with you, Odobu community has
been completely destroyed and, as at the time I was scampering to safety, the
youths were heading towards Obi town, having razed down Odobu,” he said.
The
state police commissioner, Umar Shehu, confirmed the incident. He said he had
deployed his men to the area to curtail the situation but could not confirm any
casualty figures. “For now, I cannot confirm any casualty figure until my men
return,” he stated.
Tags
Politics