Soldier, 50 others killed in Taraba

According to a Vanguard report, no fewer than 50 people, including a soldier, were reportedly killed and several others injured in Wukari, the headquarters of Wukari Local Government Area of Taraba State yesterday, following a bloody clash between the Fulani herdsmen and Jukuns in the area. Places of worships were among several buildings that were burnt by the belligerent groups. The crises reportedly started Tuesday at 10a.m. at Nwokyo village, near Wukari town, last week. It was said the situation escalated when the Jukuns, who went on a reprisal attack, lost seven of their members Tuesday evening. The Jukuns in Wukari were alleged to have been further infuriated when they saw the corpses of their men being conveyed to the Wukari General Hospital morgue at 4.30p.m. and started attacking suspected Fulani or Muslims in the area. Speaking with newsmen on the crises, the member representing Wukari I at the Taraba State House of Assembly, Ishaya Gani, said that his immediate elder brother was killed during the incident. He said that the incident was worse than last year’s religious crises which led to the killing of over 200 people, pointing out that the victims would be given a mass burial later yesterday. Gani also blamed the acting governor of Taraba State, Garba Umar, for neglecting the security advices given him by stakeholders. He also revealed that a soldier was killed while two others were critically wounded, quoting the report he received from the Wukari. According to Gani, when some Fulani herdsmen from some neighbouring states started making life unbearable for the people of the area, he called on the acting governor to order the deployment of more security men at some strategic areas of Wukari council, but that Umar failed to listen to him. He said: “The acting governor has not stepped into Wukari since the first crisis that happened last May. In several of my interviews with the press I called on the state government to improve on security in Wukari’ ‘’He has totally neglected the area despite all the pressures we have been putting on him, now look at what happened today, people are being killed as I am talking to you now. I had to plead so that my elder brother’s corpse should be removed from those that will be given mass burrial today. ‘’The level of destruction of lives of property is higher than any other crisis in Wukari. If the acting governor is not capable running the state, he should step down because this situation could have been averted if he listened to the advice of the stake holders from Wukari,’’ he added. Meanwhile Taraba State government has imposed a 24- hour curfew on Wukari town and environs in a bid to stop the crisis. Special Assistant to the acting Governor Garba Umar on Media and Publicity, Aaron Asthmas confirmed in an interview with Vanguard that the directives banning movements in Wukari were personally issued by Umar. Police Public Relations Officer, Taraba State Police Command, ASP Joseph Kwaji also confirmed the story while speaking with Vanguard on the telephone yesterday. Kwaji said that information at his disposal had so far revealed that seven persons were killed while many houses were bunt, adding that the situation has been brought under control. However, amid claims by Kwaji that the situation has been brought under control, the state Coordinator of Red Cross, Umar Waziri told Vanguard that there were still sporadic shootings in Wukari, a situation that had prevented his personnel on ground from ascertaining the number of casualties as they were staying indoors. Waziri said the Red Cross would visit the scene of the crises as soon as the area was calm to get statistics of the number of casualties among others.