One person was killed and nine houses razed on Wednesday in a communal clash between Shiwer in Kanke and their neigbhours, Pai communities in Pankshin local government areas of Plateau state. One person is said to be still missing.
The two communities have been at loggerheads for over a decade over ancestral lands and there are fears that this might develop into a full fledged war if not checked. Shiwer Community Development Association, at a press briefing in Jos on Thursday said recently, some armed youths from Pai went to Jingling village in Shiwer to cut timber. When the youths from Jingling asked them why, the youths from Pai was said to have attacked them, killing one in the process.
SDA Secretary, Mr. Augustine Gozuk, who read the text of the press briefing, said Shiwer people had on several occasion reported the incursion of Pai people into taken ancestral lands to both the state government and security agencies, but nothing had been done. He said that sometime in 2013, the Pai people had attacked Jingling while early this year, the executive of SDA had written to the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs over the incessant attacks from the Pai people.
He said, “The regrettable and ugly incident would have been prevented if the necessary and appropriate steps were taken by government as there have been series of attacks on the people of Jingling and other nearby communities in Shiwer by the Pai people over the years. Gozuk, while thanking the government for constructing the road in their area, however said that rather being a blessing the road has been a source of worry as it had become routes through which they had been constantly attack.
Police Public Relations Officer, Plateau State Police Command, Felicia Anselm, however said the incident had not been reported to the police.
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