By Dada Ahmed in Lokoja.
Governor Yahaha Bello.
The Governor of Kogi State, Alhaji Yahaha Bello, directed the security agencies in the state to ensure that no further loss of life is recorded in the renewed violence between the Bassa komu and Egbura speaking ethnic group in Mozum district of Bassa Local Governnent Area of the state.
This is contained in a statement signed by the Chief Press Secretary, Onogwu Mohammed available to The Reporters in Lokoja on Saturday.
The governor,who said the government had received intelligence on the crisis, promised that the masterminds of the ethnic crisis would be arrested and made to face the wrath of the law.
He said following Monday’s killings, his administration had acted swiftly by deploying security agents which made up of men from the army, the navy, the DSS, the police, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps and local vigilantes, to restore peace in the area.
Our Correspondent gathered that no fewer than nine lost their lives in the aged-long crisis between the two communities which centres on fish pond, land acquisition for farming and ethnic rivalry, economy among others.
According to sources, violent erupted on Friday between the two communities as as a result of an alleged killing of a palm wine tapper and a farmer on Monday with Udogbo community bearing heavy brunt of the crisis.
The online publication further gathered that viable property, worth millions of naira, were also destroyed during the crisis.
The Police Public Relations Officer for the Police Command in the state,SP Williams Ovye Ayah, who confirmed the renewed violence said normalcy had returned to the area.
