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Fulani herdsmen invade Taraba communities again

By Charles Akpeji, Jalingo
23 April 2016   |   5:43 am
The desire of Governor Darius Dickson Ishaku of Taraba state, to make the state one of the most peaceful states in the country, has continued to face obstacles, following the incessant ...
PHOTO: livestockandenvironment.wordpress.com

PHOTO: livestockandenvironment.wordpress.com

The desire of Governor Darius Dickson Ishaku of Taraba state, to make the state one of the most peaceful states in the country, has continued to face obstacles, following the incessant terrorist attacks communities by alleged suspected Fulani herdsmen.

Apart from the wanton destruction of lives and property which occurred two weeks ago in Gashaka local government councils, residents of Bali and Donga councils are presently counting their losses as a result of the attacks unleashed on them yesterday by suspected Fulani herdsmen.

As at the time of filing this report, 13 persons have been reportedly killed in separate attacks in the aforementioned local government councils by heavily armed gunmen suspected to be herdsmen.

Confirming the attacks, the Tiv Central leader in Taraba, Chief Zaki David Gbaa, told The Guardian that two people were killed in Bornon Kurku around Kungana area while others were killed in Anchogo and Tortondo villages of Bali local government.
An eyewitness, who claimed to have escaped by the skin of his teeth, revealed that incessant attacks on communities in the area, has made ” a lot of us to flee the areas.”

It should be noted that these latest attacks are coming barely a week after suspected Fulani herdsmen over ran several communities in Gashaka and Bali local government areas, killing 44 people.
The Tiv central leader further observed that several persons sustained various degrees of injuries and ” many houses burnt down by the gunmen whom we believed are the Fulani herdsmen.”

He felt dejected that the attacks have forced the displaced people whom according to him are managing to return to their homes to flee to the nearby states of Benue and ” some local governments within this state.”

He passionately admonished the state government to mobilise the task force earlier set up by government to supervise the return of IDPs to go back to work to prevent the killing of innocent people.

According to him “The land belonging to the IDPs have been sold out by the local chiefs to strange Fulani herdsmen and any attempt for them to return is being resisted by the attackers who are now claiming ownership of the farmlands.”

Confirming the attacks the state Police Public Relations Officer, Joseph Kwaji said two Tiv farmers were attacked and killed while sleeping by suspected Fulani herdsmen in a village in Bali.

Also speaking on the Donga attack, Police spokesperson agreed that the two Fulani men were robbers and were killed around Igo village after the Fulanis mobilised and attack the village and burnt some houses, but no life was lost.

He noted that the command was leaving no stone unturned in tracking down the perpetrators stating that reasonable numbers of policemen had been deployed to the area to calm the situation.

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