MIRIAM NNOLI 
The Kogi State Police Command has apprehended nine suspects in connection with a communal crisis in the Itamah area of the state.
The suspects were arrested after athe assassination of the community’s traditional ruler, Onu Itamah Job Shagari.
The Commissioner of Police in the state, Mr Bethrand Onuoha, confirmed the arrest in a statement issued in Lokoja on Thursday.
The late Chief Job Shagari was on August 12 assassinated by some gunmen who invaded the community.
The traditional ruler’s death had created rift between two families, the Okenyi Abu-Atika and Shagari-Ebijegor, resulting in communal crisis.
However, the police had arrested nine suspects and they were trailing other suspects as they called for
peace to be allowed to reign in Itamah community.
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“The destruction done in that community is very unfortunate and uncalled for.
“We want a situation where the aggrieved families should come to round table for dialogue toward finding a lasting solution.
“A situation where the community members are involved in an eye for an eye, the whole community will be blind and there won’t be peace there at all,” he said.
Onuoha denied the allegation that the command did not respond to petitions brought before it on arson and hostilities that left some houses and other property razed destroyed.
Mr Akoh Jonah, spokesman of the Okenyi Abu-Atika, claimed that more than 40 houses were burnt during the crisis, alleging that the police arrested 11 members of his family.
Mr Gideon Attah from Shagari-Ebijegor family also claimed that his family members were also victims of the attacks.
“We are calling on the government and our traditional rulers — the Attah Igala and the Eje of Idaho — to organise a peace meeting among the aggrieved parties to restore peace to the community,” he pleaded.
