Proposed University In Oturkpo Turns Bloody.

A major crisis engulfed the Otukpo community in Benue State over the sitting of a university believed to be a contribution by the Senate President, Senator David Mark to his constituency in Otukpo as irate youths in their hundreds shot and wounded three policemen at the site.

The youths, who blocked the Otukpo/Oju federal highway, refusing to let go of the land, also demanded compensation if the land must be taken, engaged the police in a gun battle.
Some of the youths were equally injured from the exchange.
According to an eyewitness, the crisis started when the local government Chairman, Mr. Innocent Onu, who was approached by the Senate President, to secure a land from the communities in Otukpo for the purpose of a university, went about carrying out negotiation and paying compensation to the communities when the youths started protesting.

According to the chairman, he met with the stakeholders and elders of the communities in Otobi, Akpaede and Assa III and that they all agreed to make the land available.

"The whole thing was shocking to me. When we went to the people of Asa III, they agreed to make the land available as they claimed that a university in their community will boost the social economy of the place as well as create jobs but unfortunately some miscreants who were misled by external forces started protesting and shooting security men."
However, some of the youths who spoke to THISDAY under anonymity, argued that the land in question is their farm land which they claimed was being forcefully taken from them without their consent.
They claimed that about five of them were also shot when the police came to dismantle their road block but absolved the police of any blame as they said the shots were fired by some persons in the community who were fighting against their cause.
Meanwhile, the action of the youths has been condemned by the council of Chiefs and elders of Otukpo.
At a consultative meeting convened by the Och'Otukpo Odu, Chief John Eimonye, and attended by district heads, elders, stakeholders as well as opinion leaders of Otukpo, the community frowned at the action of the youths which was considered to be militant and anti developmental and requested that the perpetrators of the dastardly act be brought to book.

While Akpegede and Otobi communities were said to have given the senate president the go ahead to use their land, the youths in Asa III are insisting on holding on to their land.

Onu said the elders of the community had since given their consent for the land to be used for the university while the local government, according to him, had taken inventory and was in the process of paying compensation to those affected before the protest by the youths.

The liaison officer to the senate president on media in the state, Chief Adakole Elijah, also condemned the violent attack by the youths and lauded the maturity exhibited by the police.

The Divisional Police Officer (DPO) for Otukpo, Francis Obinwa, appealed to the people of Asa III to always act in accordance with the provision of the law in order to foster peace and harmony in the area when contacted.

Source ThisDay online.