By Thompson Yamput
The Police Command in Kogi says it has arrested nine suspects in connection with a communal crisis in Itamah area of Kogi.
The crisis occurred after the assassination of the community traditional ruler, Onu Itamah Job Shagari.
The Commissioner of Police in the state, Mr Bethrand Onuoha, said this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lokoja on Thursday
The late Chief Job Shagari was on Aug. 12 assassinated by some gunmen who invaded the community.
The traditional ruler’s death had created rift between two families — the Okenyi Abu-Atika and Shagari-Ebijegor, resulting in communal crisis.
But the police said they had arrested nine suspects and they were trailing other suspects.
“What the police are calling for now is for peace to be allowed to reign in Itamah community.
“The destruction done in that community is very unfortunate and uncalled for.
“We want a situation where the aggrieved families should come to round table for dialogue toward finding a lasting solution.
“A situation where the community members are involved in an eye for an eye, the whole community will be blind and there won’t be peace there at all,” he said.
Onuoha denied the allegation that the command did not respond to petitions brought before it on arson and hostilities that left some houses and other property razed destroyed.
Mr Akoh Jonah, spokesman of the Okenyi Abu-Atika, claimed that more than 40 houses were burnt during the crisis, alleging that the police arrested 11 members of his family.
Jonah said that the family had to petition the DIG following the continuous intimidation, looting and destruction of their properties including farm produce being harvested by well armed loyalists of the late Chief.
“Even as of yesterday our people, who went to harvest their Yams in the farms were harassed and denied at gun point, the opportunity to take even one tuber.
“This is after more than 40 of our house were burnt down and our properties including food stuffs were looted by our haters, who have wrongly blamed the murder of the traditional ruler on us.
“We have to run away from the community to save our lives and we’re living like fugitives over what we know nothing about, ” he said
He wondered why a family member, Capt. Isaac Aluh (rtd.), who had contested for the stool of Onu Itamah and lost, but adopted a civilized method of expressing his grievances, as a law-abiding citizen by challenging the matter in Court, should be accused of murdering the chief.
According to him, the case has traversed its way through the various strata of courts and is presently pending at the Supreme Court of Nigeria.
He expressed worry that the police who were supposed to help them address the matter allegedly got involved and mentioned three inspectors and another officer.
Jonah lamented the arbitrary arrest and detention of 11 of his family members by the police, whom he accused of looking away while their family properties were destroyed and looted by hoodlums.
The spokesman called for the arrest of seven persons for acts of criminal conspiracy, arson, threat to life, malicious damage, unlawful attacks, possession of prohibited firearms/dangerous weapons, being members of an unlawful gang (cultists), and conducts likely to cause a breach of public peace in Itamah village.
Mr Gideon Attah from Shagari-Ebijegor family also claimed that his family members were also victims of the attacks.
Attah said: “Itamah community is bothered by three other communities and we understand that some hoodlums that committed the arson came from outside.”
“As we speak I and my entire family are taking refuge in Ayingba town. We have deserted the village too.
“We are calling on the government and our traditional rulers such as the Attah of Igala and the Eje of Idaho to organize a peace meeting for us to all aggrieved parties to all peace to return to Itamah community.
“Nobody is happy with what has happened Itamah community. No matter what anyone does, the late Chief can’t be brought back to life, ” he said. NAN
