Lafia Shut Down As Fighting Continues

The streets in Lafia town were virtually empty even
during the regular 8am rush hour, leaving a few civil
servants who went to the office rushing back to their
homes at about 9am when news filtered into town of a
faceoff between Kambari and Eggon ethnic groups in
parts of the state capital.
Public schools in and around Lafia were deserted as no
child was seen going to school while those in private
schools, who were initially conveyed to school in school
buses, were seen being returned to their various homes
at about 10am.
LEADERSHIP reports that at about 9:30am, a group of
Kambari youths in Lafia accosted a traveller from
Barikin Abdullahi (BAD), stripped him naked and set
him ablaze with his motorcycle, thereby setting the
stage for a string of other security breaches that
followed throughout the day.
Aggrieved Eggon youths immediately mobilized and
launched a counter-offensive to avenge the killing of
their tribesman which left one dead and seven others
persons critically wounded, with most of them rushed
to Dalhatu Araf Specialist Hospital (DASH) on
motorcycles.
Shortly after, joint patrol teams arrived in the area to
restore peace, but in the process, however, one person
was said to have been hit by a stray bullet and later
died from excessive bleeding before he could reach the
hospital.
The unrelenting Kambari youths also set ablaze two
houses belonging the national president of Eggon Youth
Movement (EYM), Mr. Daniel Anyuabuga, at Shinge area
at about 3pm.
Speaking to LEADERSHIP on phone Mr Anyuabuga said
he was still at work when he was informed that his
houses had been razed, confirming, however, that none
of his family members was harmed.
Although the state governor, Umaru Tanko Al-Makura,
visited the area at about the same time the torching
was taking place, the popular Angbas Hospital was also
burnt down after the patents were asked to evacuate
the premises.
Houses belonging to Mrs Cecilia Azgaku, the principal of
Government Secondary School (GSS), Atabula, and one
Pastor A. Bello were also razed.
The ongoing crisis in the state, however, took a
surprising and worrisome twist when the irate Kambari
hoodlums set Methodist Church, Tudun Gwandara,
ablaze, introducing a religious angle to the crisis which
was hitherto solely seen as an ethnic conflict.
Confirming the incidence, the state police public
relations officer (PPRO), DSP Ugochukwu Theodore,
disclosed that, so far, 21 suspects had been arrested in
connection with the unrest, adding that security men
had been deployed to the trouble spots to stop further
breakdown of law and order.
Baba Alakyo is alive – Ombatse
The Ombatse spiritual group has made a statement to
the effect that its spiritual leader, Lega Agu, commonly
called Baba Alakyo, is alive, hale and hearty, contrary to
speculations that he was killed by Fulani mercenaries
on Sunday morning.
Barr. Zachari Zamani Alumaga, the legal adviser of the
group who made this known in Lafia yesterday, said
Baba Alakyo was in his house and going about his
normal businesses.
Asked why the spiritual leader had not come out to
refute the claim in person, Alumaga said the onus of
proof was on those who claimed they had killed him.
He further asserted that the death of man that
Governor Umaru Tanko Al-Makura sent over 100
policemen to capture would have elicited excitement in
government circles and possible statement of
declaration of victory.
"If Baba had been killed by the mercenaries, as the
state Assembly has repeatedly accused Al-Makura of
being behind the crisis in the state for whatever reason,
I think it is left for him to prove his point beyond
reasonable doubt for the public," he said.

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