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At least, 42 people mostly women and children
are said to have been killed across 12 villages in
the Lau Local Government Area of Taraba State,
local residents said on Wednesday.
Mr Dauda Marafa, who hails from the area, told
The Punch on the phone that armed militiamen
suspected to be Fulani herdsmen on Sunday
invaded communities in the local government,
killing anybody in sight.
“The attacks started on Sunday evening and as
of the last count this morning (Wednesday), 42
people have been killed.
“The villages so far affected include Bujum, Yilti,
Bunzung, Sabon Gida, Kwajafa, Sobon Layi and
Budon.
“Other villages that have been sacked by the
Fulani herdsmen militia are Bamga Dutse, Bawa
Garki, Mayo Lope and Kpanti Ladi.
“Over 2,000 displaced persons are currently
taking refuge at the Negatavah primary and
secondary schools in Jalingo metropolis and more
are still trooping in since Sunday when the attacks
started.”
Marafa lamented the failure of security agencies to
deploy their men in the area, saying the casualty
figure might rise as attacks were still ongoing.
The state Chairman, Nigeria Union of Teachers,
Peter Julius, who also hails from the area, said
19 of those killed were from five neighbouring
villages.
He called on the Federal Government to urgently
draft security men to the area to stop the attacks
from spreading.
But the Police Public Relations Officer, ASP
David Missal, who confirmed the attacks to
Punch, said six people were killed.
He explained that SAR and Mopol commanders
had temporarily relocated to the areas under
attack to restore peace to the affected villages.
“Apart from the deployment of our patrol team in
the area, the Deputy Commissioner and Assistant
Commissioner of Police in charge of Operations
have been going there and coming back on a
daily basis for the past three days to monitor the
situation,” Missal added.
The Senior Special Assistant to Governor Darius
Ishaku on Media and Publicity, Mr Bala Dan-Abu,
who condemned the renewed attacks in the state,
called on the Federal Government to arrest the
situation.
“We want the Federal Government to do
something more concrete in ending the spate of
killings in the state. The governor has no control
over security personnel in the state, so we are
looking up to the Federal Government to direct
security agencies to arrest the situation,” he said.
Dan-Abu added that the governor had directed
the leadership of the Taraba State Emergency
Management Agency and the officials of the state
Ministry of Health to the area to assess the
damages and provide succour to the affected
villagers.
“We are also searching for displaced people so
that we can provide adequate protection, care,
treatment and relief materials for them.
“This is because when attacks like this happen,
people always run to where their relations are but
we are doing everything within our means to bring
them together, foster peace, protection and
general well-being of our people. We are also
appealing to people to give peace a chance in
Taraba State.”
He added that the state government was also
engaging stakeholders to put an end to the crisis
in the state.
“We are also engaging critical stakeholders from
the area in a series of meetings with a view to
restoring peace and normalcy,” he said.
