Taraba State House of Assembly has urged the state government to, as a matter of urgency, liaise with its Adamawa, Bauchi, Benue, Gombe and Plateau counterparts to establish a joint border security patrol to curb transborder criminal activities.

The call was made, yesterday, in a motion jointly sponsored by Abubakar Yusuf (Takum 1 Constituency), John Lamba (Takum II Constituency), Joshua Rikupki (Ussa Constituency), Angye Yaro (Wukari II Constituency), Jethro Zikengyu (Wukari Constituency and Annas Shuaibu (Karim-Lamido II) on the floor of the House in Jalingo.

According to them, the people affected by the crisis “have been rendered homeless, without food, access to healthcare and education, thereby exposing the victims to famine, epidemics and attendant hardships.

The lawmakers also raised the alarm that the crisis is now snowballing into banditry, adding that “it is fast spreading to some neighbouring communities in Donga and Kurmi local councils, thereby jeopardising the stability of those areas.”

The communities, they alleged have been taken over by terrorists and bandits, include Tati, Muje, Kpashi, Basang, Shenta, Kpashembe, Rikwen, Tumbu Kwaribe and Yadi, among others, in Takum Local Council of the state.

The Assembly members further lamented that terrorists and bandits had “forcefully ejected the original inhabitants and turned their farmlands into grazing fields and camps to serve as safe havens to enable them to further perpetrate other criminal activities, such as kidnappings.”

They, therefore, urged the governor, Dr. Agbu Kefas, to deploy adequate security forces at these areas to contain incessant attacks on the people.

They also implored him to direct the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) to provide relief materials, such as foodstuff, building materials and medical facilities, to the victims to alleviate their sufferings.