• Friday, March 29, 2024
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Tiv/jukun Crisis:Peace agreement threatened as Militias Kill Sec. School Principal

Ishaku-Ortom

Militias in the early hours of Tuesday attacked and killed a principal of Government Day Secondary School, Sukundi Yusuf Yaro, while on his way from Sukundi to Wukari within  Wukari Local Government Area of Taraba State, threatening recent moves to broker peace between the Tivs and Jukuns in the State.

The chairman Wukari local government council, Daniel Adigrace, disclosed the attack to BusinessDay Tuesday by phone.  He said the principal was attacked and killed at a spot between Sukundi to Wukari road while the motorcycle rider who was conveying him to Wukari escaped with serious injuries to narrate what happened to the police in Wukari.

“We wake up today with bad news again. Our principal, a Jukun man from GDSS, Sukundi was killed by Tiv militias. He was coming to Wukari from Sukundi on motorcycle, the Okada rider escaped with serious injuries he is receiving treatment at General Hospital Wukari,” he said.

The attack was the third one since the inauguration of a 30-man peace committee by the Taraba State government to initiate ways of ending the eight-month-old crisis between the Tivs and Jukuns with the three local government areas of southern Taraba state.

Adigrace gave the name of the motorcycle rider as Jibrin Isaiaka, who said the attackers were over 30 in number with guns and other weapons.

“They laid ambush along the Wukari Sukundi road with guns and machetes. As soon as they killed the principal, they ran into the bush, the Okada rider is the one that came to tell us and also reported to the police,” Adigrace said.

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The president general, Tiv Cultural and social Association Taraba State, Goodman Dahida, while reacting to the incident said the Tiv people in Taraba state were still in support of the peace initiatives by the Taraba State Governor Darius Ishaku and would not go for any attack to truncate the peace process.

“What is happening there now has been taken over by criminals, is possible that what happened was the handiwork of the same criminals, I want the local government chairman to remain calm and trace the incident with care, not just jumping into conclusion that Tiv went for the attack. The criminals are enjoying the crisis and they will do everything possible to truncate the ongoing peace process,” he added.

The police public relation officer PPRO Taraba State command, David Misar said the matter was reported to Wuakri police area command and the police quickly went to the scene to avert further escalation of the attack.

“Information indicated that two men on a motorcycle coming from Sukundi were attacked by yet to be identified, armed men. One died while the other is receiving treatment. Policemen were mobilized to the area for possible arrest,” said, adding that there had been no complaint.