The Committee for the Defence of Human Rights (CDHR), Benue State branch has recently condemned the latest communal clash in Edikwu community, Apa local government of Benue State, which left one person dead.
Edikwu community had in recent times been engulfed in series of communal clash over Royal tussle which led to loss of lives and property.
In a statement made available to newsmen recently in Markurdi, the Chairman of CDHR, Benue State Branch, Comrade Emma Otache said: “the group is deeply disturbed by the resort to violence over disagreements that could be resolved through dialogue.”
According to him, “these frequent incidents of communal violence is a failure of community leadership and the refusal to embrace dialogue as a means of conflict resolution.”
He pointed out that; “disagreements over royalty shouldn’t be allowed to degenerate into violence and destruction of lives and prosperity.”
“violence has never settled any problem and, on the contrary, it makes a bad situation worse and lay the seeds of future conflicts.” he added
He however sympathised with victims of the violence and their families and appealed to leaders at all levels in Benue State “to seize the initiative in order to forestall outbreaks of deadly violence by thugs.”
He added: “Life is so precious that state, local government and leaders in the area should take urgent and decisive actions to halt this disgraceful slaughter of people.”
