One dead, scores injured, houses torched over boundary dispute

No fewer than two persons were reportedly killed following the crisis over the ownership of parcel of land and fishing ponds between the people of Kabawa in Lokoja and the Onumaye community of Kotokarfe Local Government Area of Kogi State.

While one person, Baba Salihu was stabbed to death in his house, an unconfirmed report said another person yet to be identified was also killed.
Scores of residents at Kabawa were reportedly injured and many houses were burnt by some irate youths of Kabawa community in Lokoja metropolis.

The trouble was said to have sparked when some youths from Kabawa in Lokoja went to farms on the Island and some people believed to be from Onumaye village numbering over 100, armed with cutlasses and other dangerous weapons attacked and abducted two of them.

When the news of the att.ack filtered into the kabawa village, the youth of the community went on rampage attacking anybody believed to be clase to the chief of Onumaye burning houses and in the process one Baba Salisu was stabbed to death right in his father’s house.

Speaking to journalists in his palace in lokoja, the Ward head of Zone E Mallam Abubakar Yahaya said the crisis over the land and the ponds started when one Yakubu Danjuma, was turband as the chief of Onumaye and built his palace in the Kabawa area and started to agitate for and claim the ownership of the land.

According to him, the people of Kabawa have lived together in peace with their neighbours including the Egbira Koto stressed that the recent skirmishes was a surprise to him.
“We inherited the ponds and farmland from our forefathers over 150 year ago. The fishing festival is celebrated annually with people from all walks of life coming to grace the occasion.

“But when Danjuma Was turbaned early this year, and when he was supposed to relocate to his village to rule his people, he stayed put in Lokoja claiming the ownership of this land with us.

“We complained about this development to Maigeri of lokoja Alhaji Muhammad Kabir Makarfi 111 who brokered peace with the Ohimege Igu of Kotonkarfe, Alhaji Abuldulrazak Isak Koto. They agreed that for peace to reign all the parties should maintain the status quo, pending the outcome of the joint committee of the two traditional councils”.

Father, of the deceased, Mallam Salihi Abdullahi urged the government and the security agents to bring the killers of his son to book while asking for quick resolution of the crisis to enable the people who are now living in fear of reprisal continue with their occupation of fishing and farming.

Meanwhile, the Lokoja monarch, HRH Alhaji Muhammad Kabir Makarfi, urged the people to respect the rights of other people and stop acts of violence, saying that what happened was alien to the people of the area.
Efforts to reach the police proved abortive as calls to the command PPRO was not responded to as the press time.

Idris Ahmed, Lokoja