At least five people were killed on Tuesday and several houses burnt in Funturu village of Bassa Local Government area of Plateau State when youths suspected to be from Irigwe ethnic stock attacked their Rukuba neigbours.

The two communities have been at loggerheads over land disputes.

A week ago, the police in Jos averted what could have been a bloody communal clash between the two communities when some youths of Irigwe were said to have attacked a Rukuba community, as a form of reprisal after an old woman who was allegedly killed by some youths, believed to be from the Rukuba community.

At least five people were killed on Tuesday and several houses burnt in Funturu village of Bassa Local Government area of Plateau State when youths suspected to be from Irigwe ethnic stock attacked their Rukuba neigbours.

The two communities have been at loggerheads over land disputes.

A week ago, the police in Jos averted what could have been a bloody communal clash between the two communities when some youths of Irigwe were said to have attacked a Rukuba community, as a form of reprisal after an old woman who was allegedly killed by some youths, believed to be from the Rukuba community.

No fewer than 50 people have been killed in various clashes between the two communities.

Plateau State Police Public Relation Officer, DSP Emmanuel Abuh, who confirmed the incident said only two people were killed and three others wounded. He said that a detachment of mobile police Men has been drafted to the area to restore normalcy.

He revealed that a fight broke up between Irigwe and Rukuba tribes over a protracted land dispute.
Abuh said, “At about 12.30 hours of Tuesday, youths suspected to be of Irigwe extraction attacked one village called Funturu in Bass and in the course of the attack, two persons were shot dead, while three others were wounded.

The wounded persons were taken to the hospital for treatment while the dead were evacuated to the mortuary.
He said the command was suspecting that the attackers were from Irigwe, because they were speaking their native language when they invaded the village.

According to the police, the attackers were using sophisticated guns and other assorted weapons during the attack.
The spokesperson for the Rukuba Community, Prof. Aboi Madaki, blamed the Irigwe people for frustrating all efforts to bring peace to the warring communities. He said the attackers also kidnapped two people.

He said, “There has been moves to reconcile the two communities by the officials of the state and local government, but the Irigwe community has refused to abide by peaceful settlement.”

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5 killed in Plateau Communal Clash