A peace mission to Agasha in Benue State reportedly turned violent in the early hours of Wednesday after Aondongu Peter Suleagbough and other members of a peace initiative were allegedly attacked by youths upon their arrival in the community.
According to Suleagbough, the team travelled to Agasha following an invitation from community elders and traditional leaders to facilitate dialogue and promote peace amid tensions involving Agasha and Taarka. The group had initially considered travelling with security personnel but eventually proceeded without an escort, believing their neutral position and arrangements made with community elders would ensure a peaceful engagement.
Suleagbough alleged that some youths attacked the team, accusing them of taking sides in the dispute. He claimed the youths damaged property while security personnel, including Civil Defence officers, attempted to protect the visitors. Additional security personnel later arrived and dispersed the youths, but the team’s vehicles were reportedly burnt during the incident.
The development comes amid growing tensions surrounding the excavation of a buried corpse by government authorities and ongoing efforts to resolve the dispute through dialogue. Suleagbough also referenced a meeting with Taarka representatives the previous day, which he suggested may have contributed to suspicions about the peace team’s neutrality.
Despite the reported attack, Suleagbough maintained that the mission was undertaken in response to the community’s demand for peace. He insisted that efforts to bring the affected parties together for dialogue would continue and expressed concern over what he described as the refusal of some youths to respect traditional leaders and elders during peace efforts.
“Tiv land must embrace peace,” Suleagbough emphasised, reaffirming his commitment to the peace initiative. The full circumstances of the incident, including the alleged involvement of the youths and the burning of the vehicles, have yet to be independently verified.
