No fewer than 20 people were Friday feared dead in an outbreak of conflict between Tiv farmers and nomadic Fulani herdsmen at Nzorov ward, in Guma Local Government Area of Benue state.
Sources told Saturday Vanguard hat the entire Nzorov ward in Iyordye Akaahena village was sacked by the Fulani herdsmen who also burnt down their houses.
Among the houses burn were those belonginging to the former Benue State Head of Service, Mr. Mike Iyordye.
This lasted crisis is coming just few weeks after the feuding parties had agreed to lay down their arms and embrace peace.
According to Saturday Vanguard’s sources, some armed Fulani herdsmen who were dressed in military camouflage, had invaded the Tiv village in the afternoon in a convoy of vehicles from the neighbouring Nasarawa State.
”They stormed the village when most of our young men were in the farms; they leveraged on that to burn down the entire village after killing over 20 persons, though we are yet to know the actual number of those killed because fighting is still going on at the moment. People are already fleeing from their villages in search of safe haven in neigbouring villages,” the sources said.
The Guma Local Government council Chairman, Mr. Frank Adii said that fighting was still going on in the village as at the time of this report.
”From what I have gathered so far, the casualty figure is high with many injured but I am yet to confirm the number of casualties. I have already alerted security agencies on the development,” Adii said.
The state Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO, Deputy Superintendent, Daniel Ezeala confirmed the fighting but added that the police had no report of deaths arising from the crisis. ”Security personnel have already been drafted to the crisis area, but we have not received any information on the number of deaths,’’ he added.