A dramatic showdown unfolded in Abako, a town in Benue State’s Katsina-Ala Local Government Area, where secondary school students and soldiers locked horns—over a girlfriend. The heated confrontation saw an army checkpoint torched, bullets allegedly fired, and injuries sustained in the chaos.
According to eyewitnesses, tensions ignited when a soldier, deeply smitten, gifted a pair of earrings to his schoolgirl sweetheart, Veronica. Trouble erupted when she proudly sported them at school, only for the head girl to confiscate them—rules are rules, after all. But Veronica wasn’t having it. She ran straight to her uniformed beau, who happened to be stationed at the local checkpoint.
Abako, nestled within the infamous Sankera geo-political zone, was once the stronghold of the notorious gang leader, Terwase Akwaza, better known as Gana. The area has long struggled with insecurity, but this time, the unrest had nothing to do with banditry—it was all about teenage romance gone wrong.
Peter Anande, a local teacher, recounted the unfolding drama. During the school’s break time, the head girl—still oblivious to the brewing storm—headed to the market for breakfast. But as she passed the army checkpoint, she was confronted and allegedly assaulted by the soldiers in retaliation for taking the earrings.
Word of the assault spread like wildfire. Outraged, students mobilized, stormed the checkpoint, and faced off against the troops. Gunshots rang out, but the sheer numbers of the students overwhelmed the soldiers. In the heat of the moment, the furious students set the checkpoint ablaze, toppling barricades, and turning the road into a battlefield.
The chaos in Katsina-Ala has reignited simmering tensions between locals and the military. Many residents, already frustrated by the presence of troops in their community, are now calling for their withdrawal, questioning why soldiers tasked with security operations were engaging in schoolyard relationships.
The Police Area Command confirmed the incident, stating that order had been restored. However, the school has vowed to take legal action, preparing to petition the Chief of Army Staff in Abuja over what they describe as an abuse of power.
For now, Abako is calm—but the embers of this fiery clash are far from extinguished.
Article updated 22 hours ago. Content is written and modified by multiple authors.
