By Amos Aar
THE recent communal conflict over land dispute which had led to protest and mob action by women against retired Superintendent of Police (SP) Frederick Udoh in the Benue community of Ogene in Amejo council ward of Okpokwu local government area has reportedly been resolved following the intervention of an elder and community leader, Mr Andrew Onah.
The conflict, which was being arbitrated at the Police Area Command in Otukpa in Ogbadibo LGA of Benue State, was reportedly resolved last Monday, August 28, 2023.
National Record also reliably gathered that a court case over farm land that had been filed by SP Udoh (rtd) against his cousins prior to the police incident at the Grade 1 Area Court, Odessasa, Ugbokolo, in Okpokwu LGA has also been withdrawn.
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National Record had recently reported how retired SP Udoh in connivance with some policemen from the Otukpa Area Command molested and unlawfully detained his cousin, Ben Ogwuche, his sister, Mrs Aladi Ogwuche-Ejeikwu, and leaders of the Ogene Community Youth Association, Daniel Ameh (President), Francis Ekoja (former President), Felix Ali Odumegwu (Speaker), along with a community elder, Mr Ejembi Abah.
An unimpeachable source in Ogene Community, who spoke in confidence, told our correspondent on Thursday that the withdrawal of the two cases by retired SP Udoh on August 28, 2023 followed an intervention by Elder Andrew Onah, a maternal uncle of the Ogwuches.
According to our source, Elder Onah prevailed on his nephews to cede the parcel of farm land in dispute as he and their mother would not want to live to see the corpse of any of them, a plea which the Ogwuche siblings heeded.
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Following Elder Onah’s mediation at a peace meeting in Ogene sometime last week, Udoh wrote to the police to withdraw the matter. “When we went to the Area Command, he [Udoh] wrote that he has withdrawn the case. It was the Area Commander that asked him to write the withdrawal application,” our source said.
Corroborating the source, President of Ogene Community Youth Association, Daniel Ameh, said “all cases have been withdrawn.”
