The Mozum Concerned youth Advocacy (MCYA) has called on the authorities to save the Egbura people and Biroko community from total annihilation by Bassa Komu and their hirelings, the Agatu Militias of Benue state.
Biroko community is located in Kogi state.
In a statement jointly signed by Hamzat Muhammed and Yusuf Abubakar Danladi, the Vice President and the Secretary General of MCYA respectively, the group said unless the authorities move fast, the Egbura people and their community, Biroko, would be finished within days.
The statement recalled that since the return of Egbura people to Biroko following the executive order issued by Governor Yahaya Bello, the people had not known peace from the combined attacks of Bassa Komu and Agatu militias.
The statement reads: “On the January 8, 2020, the executive Governor of Kogi State Alhaji Yahaya Adoza Bello gave an executive order for all the displaced communities to return to their ancestral homes. As a follow up to this order. On the January 14, 2020, the Biroko community under Mozum district returned to their ancestral home with the support of security personnel.
“From the date of their return, the Biroko community have been under intimidation, harassment and use of provocative words against them. As this was not enough, the Bassa Komu community resorted to physical attacks.
“On Friday February 14, 2020 the community came under heavy attack that forced even the security personnel stationed in the community to vacate the town. This attack was presided with forceful harvest of the Biroko community fishing ponds by the Bassa Komu communities and hired Agatu Militias from Benue state who arrived with sophisticated weapons.
“The MCYA therefore, call on the state government, the security agents and all relevant stakeholders to urgently come to our rescue.”
It further explained that at the moment, the Egbura people and the Biroko community are under siege of the combined forces of Bassa Komu and Agatu militias.
“As we speak there are built up intention and plans by the militias to further attack other Egbura communities before down,” the statement added.
