Over eighteen persons have been allegedly killed while over twenty houses were razed down during Bassa/Igburra renewed crisis in Basa local government council of Kogi State.
Tribune Online reliably gathered that Bassa local government area had for long been in crisis but was witnessing peace in the last two years due to the security intervention of Governor Yahaya Bello‘s administration.
According to a source, the renewed crisis erupted on Monday, May 30, when two Bassas were allegedly killed at a farm at Uga-Cheure near Oguma and Korumu near Udogbo in Bassa Local Government Area.
It was further gathered that due to purported past hostilities between Igburra Mozum people and Bassas in the area, the Bassas were said to have believed that it was Igburra Mozum people who carried out the killings even though the perpetrators were not apprehended at the scene of the crime.
In spite of these misgivings, Bassas were said to have reported the incident to the Divisional Police post at Oguma and remained calm.
While the dust of the killings was yet to settle two Bassas were again alleged to have killed at a farm in Sheria and Korumu near Odugbo respectively on Thursday of the same week, being June 2, 2022. The attackers were also not identified.
In the early hours of Friday, June 3, 2022, according to the source, Udogbo town was attacked by gunmen burning houses and killing whosoever they encountered on their way.
Also, in the early hours of Saturday, June 4 another crisis erupted at Udogbo with the burning of houses by gunmen.
A community in Bassa, Mr Keke Kaku who spoke with newsmen said the police and the army stationed at Oguma swung into action to quell the crisis on both Monday, May 30 and Thursday, June 2, 2022.
“By Saturday morning both the police and a detachment of the army moved to Udogbo town to repel the invading gunmen,” he said
He confirmed that since the crisis erupted on Monday six of their people have been killed by the invading gunmen.
Another source who claimed anonymity, however, said not less than eighteen persons have lost their lives from both the Igburras and the Bassas with properties worth millions of naira burnt to ashes in Udogbo town.
Meanwhile, the Kogi State Police Command says normalcy has returned to the troubled Igburra and Bassa Community in Bassa LGA of Kogi State.
The Police Public Relations Officer, SP Williams Ayah, who made the disclosure to newsmen on Saturday, noted that Army and the Police have been deployed to the area.
He however denied any casualty following the renewed attack.
Also, a member representing the Bassa state Constituency at the Kogi State House of Assembly, Honourable Ranyi Daniya has however called on the people of Bassa local government area to maintain peace.
He also called on the security agents to leave no stone unturned in arresting the perpetrators of this dastardly act.
He reaffirms the zero tolerance of any form of the criminality of the administration of His Excellency, Alhaji Yahaya Bello.
In the same vein, the Executive Chairman of Bassa local government area, Hon Muktar Shuaibu have also visited the affected areas and called for calmness of all citizens to allow security agencies to do their work.
