About five persons were reportedly killed and eight injured in a clash between Kabawa and the Jukun tribes, at Abinsi town of Guma Local Government Area of Benue state.
This was even as several houses were allegedly burnt? and three vehicles smashed beyond repairs in the? crisis.
Abinsi is a predominantly fishing community situated about 24 kilometers on Makurdi-Gboko express way, with the Junkuns and Tivs as main inhabitants while Hausas as well as Fulanis are settlers.
LEADERSHIP gathered that the incident occurred on the eve of New Year between 4pm and 6pm, and that the clash erupted when a Kabawa boy who was reportedly sent to buy bean cakes popularly called akara was beaten to coma by a Jukun boy.
However, an eye witness, Mr. Paul Attah who narrated the incident to newsmen, yesterday, said that trouble began when a heated argument broke out between members of the two tribes at a fishing pond near the bank of River Benue and spread into the town where it snowballed into a crisis.
Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), DSP Daniel Ezeala, when contacted confirmed the incident and maintained that about eight persons sustained various degrees of injuries and added that one vehicle was burnt while three others were smashed.
He, however, denied knowledge of any death and stated that the command had since deployed armed policemen to the affected area to maintain law and order.
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