Reports indicate that a tragic incident involving suspected herdsmen has resulted in the loss of at least eight lives in Jenuwa Nyifiye community, located in the Takum local government area of Taraba State.
According to HRH Kwe Godson Danlami Wasa, the traditional ruler of Jenuwa Gida Nyifiye, the assailants, numbering over 300, carried out the attack on Sunday, July 2, 2023. The community is situated in close proximity to the Army 93 Ada barracks in Takum.
The attackers proceeded to take the lives of eight individuals and set numerous dwellings ablaze, encountering no opposition from security personnel.
Chief Danlami pointed out that the marauding herdsmen targeted the Kuteb Community when a significant number of villagers had returned from their agricultural activities.
He elaborated, saying, “The attackers numbered over 300, and our local vigilantes were unable to repel them due to the types of weapons they were using. This community is less than 2km away from the 93 Army Ada barracks in Takum, but the soldiers did not intervene in the situation.”
“Some of the victims were burnt beyond recognition. The attackers freely burned our houses without facing any challenge from the security forces.”
He further revealed that the same group of aggressors had previously launched deadly attacks in the Mbiya, Tamiya, and Faenta communities on Sunday. The bandits operate with impunity from their multiple camps in and around Takum town, targeting the Kuteb ethnic group.
“The period between January 2022 and now has seen these bandits claim the lives of over 200 of our people, destroy over 3,000 houses, and displace more than 10,000 members of the Kuteb ethnic group,” recounted the traditional ruler.
The traditional ruler called upon the federal government and Governor Agbu Kefas to escalate their efforts in ending the unprovoked assaults and killings targeting the Kuteb people.
However, the Taraba State Police Command, through its spokesperson, DSP Usman Abdullahi, confirmed the incident but stated that only three people were killed in the attack.
However, the Taraba State Police Command, through its spokesperson DSP Usman Abdullahi, confirmed the incident but stated that only three people were killed in the attack.