Linus Oota, Lafia
A protracted communal crisis between the people of Bassa and the Egbura people in Toto Local Government Area of Nasarawa State has claimed the lives of 31 people, while over 50 people from the Bassa tribes are still missing.
The Bassa Cultural Development Union (BCDU), in a press briefing, on Tuesday, in Lafia, alleged that the Egbura people in the state were behind the killing and destruction of farms and houses in the ongoing clash.
National president of BCDU, Barr. Yusuf Wodi said it is two weeks since the crisis started and 31 Bassa indigenes have been slaughtered by Egbura militia.
According to him, “It is incumbent on us as Bassa nation to call the attention of the world to the genocide going on in Toto local government area of Nasarawa State against the Bassa extraction.
“We are worried over the spate of killings and looting and the silence from the state government, Toto local government chairman, the paramount ruler, the police after two weeks into the crisis” he said
The group further alleged that the military that is expected to serve as defense to the defenseless is being compromised.
“The military stationed in Toto are taken side with the Egbura because the militia who carry out the killings at Ugha, Kpana, and Shebu villages appeared in army uniforms.
“It is on record that on the 2nd of May, 2018 all houses belonging to Bassa indigenes were completely razed down by the militia despite military presence in Toto” the group alleges
The group said the cause of the crisis between the warring parties though has historical link but the recent cause was as a result of disagreement between the Bassa and Egbura people in Kogi State.
The group narrated that the killing of Bassa in Nasarawa was retaliation by the Egbura who were repelled by the military to unleash mayhem on Kpanche village in Bassa local government on 22nd of April.
“As we are here right now, fighting is ongoing in Bassa communities and nobody is doing anything to end the killing, kidnapping and destruction of houses and crops belonging to the Bassa people”.
The group called on the federal government to deploy unbiased security personnel to Toto and dismantle the road blocks mounted by the militia to attack Bassa people.
They further urged the state government to constitute a judicial panel of inquiry and the state emergency management agency to come to the aid of the over 20,000 displaced Bassa people.
They also called on Governor Tanko Al-makura to visit the troubled areas and see for himself the level of damage wrecked on the Bassa indigenes.