ADVERTISEMENT

15 killed in fresh Taraba crisis

Suspected Fulani mercenaries, in the early hours of Monday, attacked some villages in the Donga Local Government Area of Taraba State and killed 15 persons. Many, reports said, were still missing.

Following the Monday attack there was massive movement of people from Donga Local Government, which is one of the areas in the state where run-off election was billed to hold next Saturday.

Residents said the assailants first attacked and burnt Ayiase village in Takum Local Government before heading for Tse-Gbaun and Gaza villages in Donga.

One eyewitness told our correspondent that the gunmen killed one Msugh Gaza and three of his sons in Gaza Village, while the three other victims were killed in Tse-Gbaun and Ayiase villages.

The eyewitness said, “The attack happened in the early hours of today (Monday), and the area is not safe as I talk to you, and as such we cannot search for the other missing persons. But we have, so far, recovered seven dead bodies.”

The Police spokesman in the state, Joseph Kwaji, said efforts to reach the DPO of Donga for details of the attacks were unsuccessful as his mobile phone was switched off.

However, an aide of the acting Governor of the state, Alhaji Sani Danladi, said his boss had directed that military personnel be deployed in the area to maintain peace and order.