Man Beheads Neighbour Over Land Dispute In Benue

 

Tragedy struck at Utonkon in Ado Local Government Area of Benue state, yesterday morning when a man reportedly beheaded his neighbour over a disagreement on a piece of land. The culprit who hails from a neighbouring village called Oju murdered his neighbour from Ado local government who he had been been in bad terms with over time.

 

A source who spoke to Vanguard said that there has been a land tussle between both families for some time until both men confronted each other in the farm on the said day.

 

“Both men and their respective families have been quarrelling over a piece of land that is located around the boundaries of both Ado and Oju local government areas. We heard that both men met in the farm this morning (yesterday) and a fight ensued between them in the bush without anybody knowing", the source said.

As the argument intensified, the suspect attacked the deceased with a machete. He cut of his head and dug a makeshift grave where he buried him without his head. He allegedly concealed his head in a polythene bag as he left the scene of the crime. He was nabbed by members of the vigilante in the village. He was handed over to the Otukpo Police Area Command for interrogation.

While speaking to reporters at the Police Station in Otukpo, the suspect said the victim threatened to kill him during an argument.

When contacted, Benue State Police Public Relations Office, Assistant Superintendent Austin Ezeani, who confirmed the incident, said the matter was being investigated.

He said: “The suspect is being held at the Otukpo Area Command, where he is being interrogated. He is a native of Oju, while his victim hailed from Ado, all Benue State.”
 

The death has severed the relationship between the people of Ado and Oju where both men hail from. The people of Ado are reportedly fuming with anger with threats of an attack on the people of Oju.