Fresh attacks on Maigoge and Maihula in Bali local government area and Ananum and Akate communities in Donga local government of Taraba State have claimed additional six lives, taking the total to 17.
Local residents said four people were killed in Maigoge and two in Akete villages of Bali and Donga LGA respectively.
This is even as residents of Maihula in Bali LGA said gunmen from Wurbo community attacked and burnt their community on Saturday.
Pastor Othaniel Amah whose house was burnt in the attack at Maihula told our correspondent that many houses were burnt in the attack.
“My family escaped death by the whiskers, but the entire village has been razed. All our belongings have been burnt in the attack suspected to have been carried out by Jibawa (Jukun) militia.
“We are calling on the security agencies to stop the escalation of the attacks as lives and property are being wasted,” he said.
Caretaker Chairman of Bali local government Council, Mahmud Musa, told our correspondent that four persons were killed in the attack at Maigoge.
Musa added that six houses were burnt in the attack which happened on Saturday morning.
The caretaker Chairman however, said he was not aware of the attack at Maihula.
He noted that an 11-man peace and reconciliation committee has been set up to ensure the return of peace in the area.
“We just finished a security meeting where all the stakeholders have agreed to work towards peace.
“But the only thing that will calm the situation now is the deployment of security personnel. We have deployed Civil defence personnel to, but we need more security.
“I have communicated the Deputy Governor, Haruna Manu on the need for the deployment of security and we do hope he will do the needful,” he said.
Meanwhile, Yakubu Ali, a resident of Akate said two persons were killed at Tse Mende and Iornem villages close to Akate in Donga local government.
Ali said gunmen in their numbers also attacked Ananum village and burnt the remaining structures still standing after the first attack on the village last month.
But the Caretaker Chairman of Donga local government Council, Nashuka Ipeyen said only one person was killed in the attack near Akate.
He however, denied knowledge of the attack on Ananum, saying “I am just hearing of the attack on Ananum from you. Nobody has informed me about the said attack on Ananum.
“Just this morning Tiv people attacked and killed one person in Akate. It’s unfortunate that Tiv people don’t want this crisis to end.
“They have been attacking Jukun communities since the last peace meeting. Even when our youth want to go reprisal, we use to stop them,” he said.
But in a swift reaction, Kelvin Katyo, the President of Tiv Youth Council accused Nashuka of speaking only for the Jukun as if he was the Chairman of Jukun and not the people of Donga.
“Nashuka is an interested party and has turn himself into a Jukun youth leader. Why is he always not aware anytime there is an attack on a Tiv community?
“Nobody is happy with what is happening. It’s now clear that the agenda to evict the Tiv out of Taraba has reached an advance stage and we are calling on the federal government to intervene before we are wiped out of Taraba,” he said.
Police Public Relations Officer, ASP. David Misal did not pick calls made to his line to confirm the killings in the state as at the time of filing this report.
