Tensions rise in Taraba as suspected militias attack returning IDPs

Many internally displaced returnees of Tiv origin were attacked on Friday by suspected militants in Taraba State’s Wukari local government council.

The attack on Friday in Tor-Iorlumun Community, Rafinkada Ward of the aforementioned local government district, has rekindled tensions.

Aside from the attacks, furucinovel learned that the returnees’ goods were also ruined beyond recognition.

Some of the victims described their suffering at the hands of their attackers, saying they were busy mending their shattered houses and laying bricks to rebuild when the terrorists attacked the neighborhood.

According to one of the victims, Tarnege John, the attackers were not only armed to the teeth but also shot irregularly.

“Some of our guys retreated into the bushes for safety,” he added, adding that others who chose to remain behind were not spared by the attackers.

“Some of us who stayed to find out what caused the regrettable and nasty circumstance were heavily attacked with machetes, and three of us were left in our own pool of blood.”

“When they found we were unconscious, they took away our Peugeot and three motorcycles and proceeded to burn everything we owned without any intervention.”

The assailants, who expressed sadness over the claimed lukewarm attitudes of both the local and state governments toward displaced Tiv people in the state, urged the federal government to intervene immediately to save them.

They also urged all levels of government to take proactive measures to prevent any type of crises from returning in the council and the state as a whole.

Dr. Daniel Adi, chairman of the council’s Caretaker Committee, told DAILY POST that he is just leaving Jalingo, the state capital, for Wukari.

He acknowledged that he had been notified of what had occurred in his local government and promised to contact our correspondent as soon as he had completed an evaluation of the situation in the community.

Meanwhile, the command’s Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Usman Abdullahi, stated that the command has not yet been properly briefed on the incident.

He did, however, promise to contact the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) of the Wukari Division to find out what was going on and to keep the press updated.