Tension in Benue community as police recover dead body

There was apprehension among residents of Tyo-Mu settlement, a suburb of Makurdi, Benue State on Wednesday as police recovered a dead body in the community.

The Tyo Mu settlement had been in contention between Ihyarev (indigenes), a group of Tiv people found in Makurdi, Gwer-West and Guma local government areas and Kparev, (settlers) who allegedly migrated from Vandeikya, Kwande, Konshisha and Ushongo local government areas of the state.

Barely a month ago, both the indigenes and the settlers fought over land which resulted into burning down of several houses.

But Wednesday morning, people were sighted fleeing the communities for fear of unknown.

Dan Terna and Jonah Uwuese, who were found fleeing the area could not say specifically the reason they were leaving the community.

“We saw people running, saying that people were being killed and we decided to run to Makurdi,” Uwuese said.

However, Benue State Command Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Catherine Anene, told journalists in Makurdi that men of the command on Wednesday, found a dead body of an unidentified person in the area.

The police spokesperson said the command was yet to ascertain the true cause of the death of the person, a development she said had prompted people to desert the settlement.

Anene, however, said two suspects had been arrested while more personnel had been drafted to the area.