10 feared killed in Benue PDP, ACNclash

AGAIN, Benue State was on Sunday literarily turned into a theatre of war as a bloody clash between members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the Action Congress of Nigeria, (ACN) in Ugba, headquarters of Logo Local Council, left about 10 persons dead and several properties destroyed.The wife of the District Head of Mbaya Clan, Tyoor Tyohuna Terngu and nine PDP supporters were killed during the crisis.The Guardian gathered that the violence broke out following a reprisal attack by ACN supporters over the alleged murder of one Celestine Agber and his guest in his residence .Governor Gabriel Suswam, while reacting to the mayhem which occurred shortly before his arrival in the area to attend the burial of the mother to former Chairman of Logo Council, Michael Kondun ,expressed grief at the level of violence, describing it as 'highly unacceptable'.Suswam said the government would not tolerate the wanton killing, maiming and destruction carried out by the perpetratorsThe governor further accused the ACN governorship candidate ,Prof. Steven Ugbah of making inflammatory statements during a thanksgiving service in the area recently.He warned that perpetrators of the violence and their sponsors, no matter how highly placed, will be apprehended and made to face the full wrath of the law.'We have reached a stage where we cannot accept this arson. The police should take decisive steps. ACN thugs have taken the laws into their hands. They have gone too far. This is not what politics is about. It should not be seen as a war or act of rascality and criminality. We will no longer tolerate this', he warned.The governor, appealed to PDP supporters whose family members were killed and houses destroyed to remain calm and allow the police carry out their investigation.But the state ACN Chairman, Abba Yaro in an interview with The Guardian accused the PDP of assassinating two chieftains of the party in Logo Local Council and denied the involvement of ACN members in the arson .Yaro also accused the State PoliceCommissioner of treating security issues in the state, especially political violence with kid gloves, claiming that the police chief had refused to answer his calls and also failed to respond to several petitions addressed to him on security issues in the state.He therefore urged the Inspector-General of Police to compel the commissioner to act.However, according to the State Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) Ejike Alaribe , the situation has since been brought under control, while a detachment of soldiers and mobile police officers have been deployed to the areas to restore order.
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