No fewer than 20 lives were reported dead following communal clashes between Igburra Mozum and Bassa Kwomu in Bassa Local Government Area (LGA) of Kogi State indigenes onThursday.

This is coming as five farmers were said to have been killed on Wednesday near Maiduguri in Borno State when their vehicle hit a landmine planted near a road.

The two communities in the last two year have been engage in a supremacy battle, which has claimed many lives with property worth several millions of naira destroyed.

A community leader in Sheria, Mr. Gberegu told journalists yesterday that Igburras in the early hours of yesterday attacked Bassa kwomu and killed no fewer than 20 people, while several houses were burnt.

This, he said was in spite of the January 8 appeal by the state government for a ceasefire by the warring parties.

According to him,”the bridge linking Oguma and Sheria was completely razed down by Igburra militias while Sheria village has been deserted”.

He decried the continued militancy of Igburra Mozum against the Bassa kwomu.

Meanwhile, the Kogi State Police Command’s spokesman, Mr. William Aya, while confirming the incident, said that the police had received a report of clashes in the area and responded by drafting officers from the State Anti-riot squad and conventional police.

According to him, the police found one unknown corpse, which was evacuated immediately while the situation was brought under control.