Benue State Government has imposed a dusk to dawn curfew in Abugbe and Okokolo communities of Agatu local government area of the state.
This followed the attack that claimed 25 lives, with properties worth millions of naira destroyed.
Deputy governor, Mr. Benson Abounu, gave the order after he led members of the security council to inspect the affected communities to ascertain the level of damage.
After inspecting and meeting with elders and members of both communities in Abagaji, the deputy Governor promised them the sum of N2 million to enable them pay medical bills of those who were injured during the attack and to bury the dead ones.
The deputy governor, while visiting Okokolo called for security operatives in the area to take positions in order to forestall reprisal.
He noted that the visit was his 8th to the communities to settle their differences stating that those behind the attack will be brought to book.
“As you are aware some 25 people lost their lives in a communal clash that took place in Okokolo of Agatu local govt area of Benue state.
“This has come as a result of the lingering crisis over a piece of land and a fishing pond. We have been coming here, today is the 8th time that I have been here because of this crisis since 2015.
“In the past, we had involved the local chiefs and their subjects to meet and find an amicable solution to the crisis but it looks like that has failed with the loss of so many lives.
“Government has no choice but to take a drastic action and so the security council has decided that whoever may be responsible for this killings, where the persons might have gone to or whatever length of time that he may stay away from the arms of the law, the long arm of the law will catch up with the person and bring him to book.
“And as I’m talking to you, the security forces are already working and these people will be apprehended and they will face the law accordingly.
“We are hearing that there may be a reprisal attack. And government cannot afford another attack. For that reason, a curfew has been imposed from Obagaji all the way to Okokolo, covering Abugbe, Adana, Akuo, and so on.
He said people are expected to stay indoors from 6 o’clock in the evening to 6 o’clock in the morning warning that anyone found wandering about will have himself to blame.