Communal crisis: Armed militia reportedly take over Benue major road, cut off Igede tribe

The communal crisis between the Bonta community in Konshisha Local Government and Ukpute community in Oju Local Government Areas of Benue State has taken a turn for the worse.

DAILY POST recalls that the two neighbouring communities have been neck deep in crisis over a disputed land which claimed several lives and properties, including those of 12 military personnel on Easter Monday in the year 2021.

It was gathered on Monday that armed militias from the Bonta village blocked a major road linking Oju to Makurdi, cutting off the entire Igede tribe from accessing the state capital.

Igede is the third largest tribe in Benue State, occupying the Oju and Obi Local Government areas.

A Senior lecturer in the Benue State University, Dr John Ogi told DAILY POST on Tuesday that the presence of armed militias on the road has “disconnected Igede from other parts of the state”.

Ogi stressed that movement of goods and services from the Igede land to other parts of the state was impossible at the moment.

He said the only alternative route from Oju is the highly decapitated Otukpo road, stressing that a “journey of 2 hours from Oju to Makurdi now takes 7 hours”.

The lecturer alleged that about “two trailers of fertilizers distributed by the federal government to Oju/Obi Federal constituency were seized by the militias in July 2024”.

DAILY POST reports that Governor Hyacinth Alia had recently stated that there was a relative peace in the warring communities, insisting that the government was working hard to resolve the dispute.

Efforts by DAILY POST to reach the state police command for comment proved abortive, as the Police Public Relations Officer, Catherine Sewuese could not respond.