At least nine people were said to have been killed in Takum town on Tuesday, following an attack by suspected gunmen.
Takum is the hometown of Governor Darius Ishaku who turned 65 years Tuesday.
Multiple sources in Takum said trouble started on Tuesday morning when a Jukun man was killed on his farm along Takum-Wukari road. In response, irate Jukun youths in Takum went on a rampage killing at least eight people in the town.
A resident of Takum, Nathaniel Jato, told our correspondent by phone that the eight people killed in Takum town were all Tivs resident in the town.
“We counted at least eight dead bodies around General hospital Junction and Zenith Bank around the Wukari roundabout.
“We were told that many people were killed around Rimi Primary school area, but there is tension, so we can’t go there,” Jato said.
The resident said that the Caretaker Chairman of Takum Local Government Council, Shiban Tikari, had assured them that the situation would not escalate. “But I am afraid the situation might degenerate if adequate security measures are not put in place,” he lamented.
Jato, who said there was threat that their houses would be attacked in the night, called on Governor Darius Ishaku and security agencies to quickly restore peace in the area to pave way for proper investigation into the matter.
Tikari, the Caretaker chairman, promised to return a call to his phone, but did not at the time of filing this story.
Police Public Relations Officer in the State, DSP David Misal who confirmed the development however said two people were killed in the incident.
“One person was killed on the farm which is under dispute this morning and some youths in Takum attacked and killed someone, allegedly a relation to the people who are in dispute over the said parcel of land with the slain man on a farm land in what looked like a reprisal,” he said.
“The land matter has been in court and two months ago a relation of the person killed on the same land today was killed on the same farm.
Mishal said the police had brought the situation under control.
Nathaniel Gbaoron, Jalingo
