Scores of lives have been lost and property worth millions of naira destroyed in a renewed hostility between the Itale and Ishi communities in Ibaji Local Government Area of Kogi State.
It was learnt that members of a rival community invaded Ishi village on Tuesday afternoon in a reported reprisal attack in which there were gun battle leading to the killings of residents as well as destruction of houses and setting stored foods and other valuables ablaze.
A local, Omachonu Atule, alleged that armed men attacked Ishi village at about 3:30 p.m. on Tuesday and razed the community.
“Residents have deserted the town and several people have lost their lives. We do not yet know the number of those killed. Many residents, including women and children, have fled to neighbouring villages for refuge,” he said.
The Kogi State Commissioner of Police, Naziru Kankarofi, confirmed the incident, saying the Divisional Police Office in Ibaji received a distress call on May 6, 2026, at about 7:04 a.m., adding that two persons were killed in the crisis.
Kankorofi said persons of interest had been identified in connection with the lingering communal clashes between the two communities.
The CP gave the names of persons of interest from both communities as Stephen Enema, Isaac Enedubi, Alex Attah, and Eneje Idah from Itale community, as well as Stephen Amegwu, Shederach Alone, and Friday Onal from Ishi community.
The command’s spokesperson, Saliu Oyiza Afusat, quoted Kankorofi saying a joint team of police operatives, Naval personnel, the Vigilante Group of Nigeria, and the Kogi State Vigilance Service was deployed to the area.
He said “on arrival, a tense situation was encountered, with several buildings and agricultural produce, including bags of rice, already set ablaze by suspected youths from Itale community. The joint team acted swiftly, successfully dispersing the hoodlums and restoring normalcy to the area,” the statement said.
The police said two male corpses were recovered from different locations within Ishi community, while another wounded victim of gunshot from a pump-action rifle was taken to the General Hospital in Idah for treatment, adding that 57 expended cartridges were recovered from the scene.
He said the area remains under active surveillance, with sustained security deployment to prevent the crisis from spreading to neighbouring communities.
He warned that all individuals found culpable will be duly investigated and prosecuted in accordance with the law and urged residents to remain calm, avoid spreading unverified information, and continue to provide security agencies with credible intelligence for prompt action.
The neighbouring communities have long been involved in disputes over farmlands and fishing ponds, a conflict said to have resisted several peace efforts over the years.
Residents of the Ishi community accused their rivals in Itale of plotting retaliation after a deadly clash in November 2025 that resulted in loss of lives and destruction of property.
“On November 9, 2025, Itale community was attacked by Ishi, where four people were killed and properties destroyed. Since then, Itale has been planning revenge. We have called for several peace meetings between both communities, but all have been in vain,” said a local Apeh Kelvin.
