Masquerades, residents clash in Kogi community

A procession by masquerades at Zango community in Lokoja, the capital of Kogi State, has led to violent attack on residents. City & Crime learnt that the crisis started brewing from the day of Sallah celebration and rose to its peak towards weekend when residents of the faith-based community rebuked the masquerades. Locals alleged that […]

A procession by masquerades at Zango community in Lokoja, the capital of Kogi State, has led to violent attack on residents.

City & Crime learnt that the crisis started brewing from the day of Sallah celebration and rose to its peak towards weekend when residents of the faith-based community rebuked the masquerades.

Locals alleged that despite their stern warning, the masquerades invaded the community to display, an action that triggered violent clash. In the process, residents of the community were reported to have received severe beating and some properties destroyed.

Alhaji Uthman Abdulkareem, a resident of the community said, “We have persistently told the masquerades to keep off the community during their cultural display. We have our own religion with tenets different from theirs. Unfortunately, this Sallah period, they came again, a situation that resulted in a full-blown violent clash from Thursday. If not the timely intervention of the state government and security agents, it would have developed into a bloody clash.”

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When contacted, the police public relations officer, Kogi State command, SP Williams Aya, said he would get the details of the incident and get back to our correspondent, but he did not do that till the time of filing this report yesterday.