the clashes between egbura people of mozum district and bassa komu,both of bassa local government area of kogi state – putting the records straight.

what do you know about BASSA KOMU, This is the real history,
I feel obligated to put the records straight after reading with amusement the distorted information on the aforementioned clash at Kpankye, published in one of the daily newspapers.
First and foremost, the people of the area concerned are not Ebira but Egbura. The Ebira people are found in Okene and environs, Secondly there are no such people as Egbura Mozum, Egbura Koto, Egbura Toto or Egbura Abaji as claimed in the paper.
The Egbura people are homogeneous from one root , with same culture and dialect. Although we are found in four Local Government Areas in the two states of Kogi , Nasarawa and the Federal Capital Territory(F.C.T), there are no indefinite boundaries between us but administrative division only. Therefore it should be noted henceforth that the Egbura people of Nigeria whether found in Koton Karfe, Toto or Bassa Local Government Area of Kogi state and Nasarawa state or Abaji Area Council of F.C.T are one homogeneous people and should be seen , regarded and treated as such.
As to the clash in Kpankye, the main issue has to do with either paucity or complete ignorance of history by the younger generations of the Bassa komus whose great grand fathers were assisted by Egbura people at their critical time of need, the need for asylum from the jihadists, but today claim ownership of the land.
The Egbura people are descendants of the Kwararafa Empire. History has it that our great grand fathers arrived our current environment in the 1450s influenced by fishing, the pre-occupation of our people . The Bassa Komu on the other hand arrived the scene around 1860s, They are pre-occupationally farmers. Their first point of arrival were Koton Karfe and Toto areas. Those who explored further to the river banks were paddled across the River Benue by the Egbura people .
However, this was not before an official permission was sought and received traditionally from the then Attah of Igalaland, Aku Odiba by Ohiogba of Mozum, after comfirming the mission of the Bassa Komu, which as seen earlier was asylum from the jihad of Othman Dan Fodio(C18th) .
In granting the request of Ohiogba , the Attah advised that only a few of them should be granted asylum behind the forest to enable them practice their occupation. On hearing the good news, the migrants selected a few people out of each of their five clans to be paddled across to Mozum district. such clans included Ashashama, Akuba Arishamshi, Edigashi and Zongulo.
They were then distributed throughout the district such that the Ashashama were paddle across the river at Mozum and allocated lands behind the forest, to such areas known today as Odugbo-Baje, Odugbo Anki, Odugbo Hussaini, Odugbohu,Odugbo Kara, Okubiri e.t.c, The Akuba clan were crossed at Ogba –Bete , and given land at Oguma, Akura, up to Odenyi. Arishamshi clan were directed to Ibohu where they were paddled across to Osheriya , Ayede, Abutu. Finally Edigeshi and Zungulo were carried across the river at Ahutara and Ozugbe respectively to Kpankya and the surroundings villeges all behind the forests into the hinterland.
Since then, the Egbura people and their guests lived peacefully together without rancour. Although there have never been any intermarriage between us, but each ethnic group practiced its culture and pre-occupation freely without interference. There were free-will exchange of visits and farm product such as yams, and guinea corn from the Bassa komu to the Egbura people, and fish to the Bassa Komu from the Egburas.
Today, the younger generation of the Bassa Komu feel and think differently to them , that land belong to them and no other. They must have a total control of the land. No one else has the right to make use of any part of the land without an express permission from them, otherwise, it is war. Fellow Nigerians, if you are in this position of Egbura people , What would you do?
Remember, we are peace loving people. We want peace to reigm supreme in our land for the progress and development of the people. Long L ive Nigeria, Long Live Kogi State, Long Live Bassa Local Government Area of kogi state

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BY MODA KADUNA

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