No fewer than four people were killed in Ngutswen village near Wurojam in the Gassol Local Government Area of Taraba State barely nine hours after Governor Darius Ishaku raised the alarm over a plot to attack the state by suspected Fulani herdsmen.
Ishaku had on Thursday, while playing host to the National Working Committee of the Peoples Democratic Party led by its National Chairman, Prince Uche Secondus, said that he had received notice of an attack on the state within 10 days through a letter from an undisclosed source.
Speaking with journalists at the site of the burial of the four victims, a community leader, Mr. Tyav Ngutswen, said that they were sleeping when the attackers struck at about 10:09 pm.
Tyav alleged that some cows belonging to one Alhaji Dapel Lolo and Alhaji Buruti had a week ago invaded their farms and caused a serious damage.
He said, “We caught 12 of their cows that ate our crops and handed them over to the owners peacefully, but we demanded a compensation of N40,000, which they reluctantly paid but threatened to attack us.
“We can no longer stay here because there is no security, that’s why we are rushing to conduct the burial and leave before it gets dark.”
Lamenting the killings, Chairman of Tiv Cultural and Social Association in Gassol Local Government Area, Mr. Zachariah Akaater, said that since 2016, over 40 Tiv farmers had been killed in the area, with 10 deaths recorded early this year at various dates and locations.
He said, “What they (Fulani herdsmen) have repeatedly told us is that Governor Darius Ishaku has enacted the anti open-grazing law because of Tiv people and as such, they will not allow us to rest.
“We want to call on the government to look into these killings and provide security for us in order to return to our villages.”
Police Public Relations Officer in Taraba State, David Misal, confirmed the recent killings, promising to get back with more details, but he had yet to do so as of the time of filing this report. – Punch.
