TheCable

Egbura National Development Association (ENDA), the umbrella body of the Egburas in Kogi and Nasarawa states,  has called on Yahaya Bello, governor of Kogi, to intervene in the crisis between the Egbura and Bassa ethnic groups.

In a statement by Ibrahim Aguye and Yusuf Aboki, its president and national secretary respectively, the group said the conflict dates back to the 1980s.

ENDA accused the Bassa Cultural and Develoment Union (BCDU) and Bassa Cultural Youth Organisation (BCYO),  its youth wing, of manipulating the public on the remote and immediate cause of the communal clashes.

According to the statement, the clashes were recorded in Toto local government area (LGA) of Nasarawa state and Bassa LGA in Kogi.

ENDA accused the Bassas of attacking the Egburas for “no immediate reasons” and displacing them from their homes,  causing them to seek refuge in neighbouring Nasarawa communities.

“On April 22, 2018, Ogbonka, Ogbaozanyi, Ozugbe, Ahutara, Okanga and Ibiroko Egbura communities, all under Mozum Chiefdom in Kogi state, were attacked, their houses razed and many residents killed by mercenaries of Bassas for no immediate reasons,” the statement read.

“We say there was no immediate reason(s) because although there had been no love lost relationship between the two ethnic groups leading to some skirmishes in the recent past, there is nothing to point at this time as the reason (s) for the latest invasion of the two communities by Bassas and their hired goons.

“As we speak, the Egburas who survived the onslaught are now taking refuge in other friendly communities in Kogi and Nasarawa states. Being neighbouring communities to many in Nasarawa state, the attacks on these communities naturally elicited apprehension on the side of the Egburas in Nasarawa state.

“It then followed that we needed to guard our loins in Ugya and other communities. The need to watch out further became imperative when, on April 23, 2018, Bassas began to evacuate en mass from Ugya and other Egbura communities.

“Some kindhearted Bassas closed to Egburas informed them that they (Bassas) had been told to leave the area as the Bassas had decided the sack the Egburas of the Toto LGA of Nasarawa state as they did to their kith and kins in Kogi state.

“Consequent upon this privileged information we promptly alerted the security agents of the pending attacks. And the following morning they did attacked.

“On the wee hours of April 24, 2018, obviously bolstered by their unchallenged onslaought on Egbura communities in Kogi state, mercenaries clad in red clothe invaded Ugya community and other Egbura communities in Toto LGA of Nasarawa state, killing several persons and razing a number of houses.

“Yet again, Ugya and other communities came under attack more than 20 years after the last one, by hirelings of Bassas for no justifiable reason. Unfortunately, they struck before the security could mobilise and deploy to the communities.”

The statement added that some of the suspected culprits have been arrested and paraded by the security agencies.

“Fortunately however, the security was able to bring the mayhem under control in no distant time by halting the advancement of the marauding mercenaries,” the statement read.

“A number of them were arrested with their weapons by the Military in conjunction with the Nigerian Police and paraded in Lafia, the state capital.”

They said despite police intervention, the Egburas in Ugya suffered another series of attacks on May 11, 14 and 18.

“It is important to remind the public that this crisis is not the first. It is only the latest out of the many aggressions visited on the Egburas and their communities since 1980s by the Bassas ostensibly for the “sin” of our forefathers who welcomed them when they were driven away during reign of Nagwamatse who waged war against them due to their unbearable warring tendencies as shown by history,” they said

The group therefore prayed Bello and Tanko Al-Makura, his Nasarawa counterpart, to probe the attacks and bring the perpetrators to book.