Sylvanus Viashima, Jalingo
At least seven persons have been killed and several injured as armed herdsmen invaded Jekunho village in Jalingo, the Taraba state capital Friday evening, just as 13 others were killed also yesterday in the ongoing communal clashes between Jukun and Tiv in Wukari local government area of the state.
A resident, Mr Jonathan Dogara told our correspondent that the armed herdsmen numbering about a hundred came in around 5pm and opened fire killing about seven persons while several others were left injured before they razed down the entire village.
Dogara said that the herdsmen who have been threatening to attack some Kona villages for some time now have also threatened to burn down Janibanibu village Saturday night. “These people have been threatening to destroy our villages and kill our people. Now they have succeeded. They came in this evening and opened fire killing anyone in sight. They were more than a hundred people on motorcycles and they were carrying heavy guns.
“Now our people have all run out of their homes in the other villages and they are threatening to even burn down Janibanibu this night. Meanwhile there is no security while all of this was going on”.
Meanwhile, thirteen persons were reported killed on also Friday in the ongoing communal clashes between Jukun and Tiv in Wukari local government area of the state.
The caretaker chairman of the local government, Mr Daniel Adi who confirmed the incident to our correspondent in a phone interview said that the youths suspected to be Tiv attacked Refin Kada and Kente villages where they killed six persons. Adi said that his boys were able to kill seven of the attackers and they were all identified as military personnel with their identity cards.
“It was a very serious attack here. They just came in and started killing people. We have been trying to bring all these crises to an end and then they just came and started killing people in Rafin Kada and Kente simultaneously. Seven of the attackers were killed and all of them are military personnel with their identity cards on them”,Adi said.
The police public relations officer in the state, DSP David Misal confirmed the attacks to our correspondent but said that the command was yet to get the details of the casualty figures. As at the time of this report, displaced persons were seen taking over the streets of Jalingo in areas that are considered relatively safe for now with their luggage.