New Telegraph

Benue warring communities to embrace peace

The warring communities of Ipusu and Mbawa communities in Tyomu, Makurdi Local Government Area of Benue State yesterday resolved to sheathe their swords and embrace peace following the intervention of the state chapter of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN). At the reconciliatory meeting held yesterday at NKST Church, Makurdi, leaders of the warring sides, Ipusu and Mbawa, expressed readiness to end the crisis and commended the CAN leadership for intervening in the crisis, assuring the body that they were ready to embrace peace for the development of the state. They lamented the effect of the crisis, which they said bothered on hunger and poverty; and resolved that the sale of land within the area of conflict be suspended forthwith; all court cases stopped and those arrested in connection with the crisis, released as part of the reconciliation move.

Addressing stakeholders at the reconciliatory meeting; CAN Chairman, Rev. Akpen Leva, who lamented the destruction caused by the crisis, noted that people of the state were surrounded by enemies who were ready to take over the state and the continued crisis would weaken the people before their enemies. Leva added that the church was worried by the crisis, which he said had not only claimed lives, but property worth millions of naira and appealed to the warring communities to lay down their arms and embrace peace, which according to him, was the sure way of attracting development to their communities. Chairman of Makurdi Local Government Council, Mr. Anthony Dyege, represented by his deputy, Frank Mbashinnya, lauded the initiative of the church to bring the crisis to an end.

In a remark, acting paramount ruler of Makurdi, Chief Clement Kurugh, who led other traditional rulers to the reconciliatory meeting, decried the devastation caused by the crisis, pointing out that efforts had been made at various levels to douse the crisis, but that it continued unabated and lamented how the people had settled together for a long time, yet the crisis. CAN Vice-Chairman, Bishop Mike Angou, prayed to God to give the people a new heart and spirit to enable them unite and remain together as brothers and sisters.

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