By Nicholas Dechi
Makurdi – Two warring communities in Benue, Okpute and Bonto, have decided to end their hostilities and give peace a chance, to foster development in the state.
Okpute is in the Oju Local Government Area of the state, while Bonto is in the Konshisha Local Government Area of the state.
The peace accord followed a meeting on Wednesday in Makurdi, presided over by the state’s governor, Mr Samuel Ortom, who was represented by his deputy, Mr Benson Abounu.
The two communities have also resolved to commence the process of establishing and delineating their boundaries.
The peace meeting recommended that youth leaders from the two Local Government Areas should go home and dialogue with their youths to rein in on them to stop attacking each other.
The youths, who had been at the centre of the crisis were told to form a joint peace committee to be co-chaired by the two youth leaders to foster better inter-community relations and peace among people in the two Local Government Areas.
The meeting called for cooperation, constant dialogue and congenial relationships between traditional rulers from both sides to boost relations and peaceful co-existence.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the meeting was attended by the council chairmen of the two local government councils.
Traditional rulers and clerics, including Bishop Sunday Idoko, the Archbishop of the Methodist Church of Nigeria, Kaduna Archdiocese also attended the meeting.
(NAN)
