Sylvanus Viashima, Jalingo; Timothy Olanrewaju, Maiduguri and Sola Ojo, Kaduna
At least 10 persons have been confirmed dead while several houses and other property were destroyed in renewed communal clashes in Kente village of Wukari Local Government Area of Taraba State.
The chairman of Wukari Local Government Area, Mr. Daniel Adi, who confirmed the situation in the ongoing clashes between Jukun and Tiv ethnic groups on the fringes of Benue and Taraba states border in an interview with newsmen in Wukari yesterday, also disclosed that about 10 communities have so far been burnt down around the affected area.
“As I am talking to you now, several households, including Government Day Secondary School (GDSS), Kente, were burnt down by the attackers in the early hours of today. I am making efforts to contact my counterpart in Ukum Local Government Area in Benue State to appeal to his people to lay down their arms and embrace peace,” Adi said.
He disclosed that the local government was footing the bills of several injured persons currently receiving treatment at the Wukari General Hospital.
Meanwhile, a community leader, Mr. David Kente, has condemned the wanton destruction of lives and property in the area.
Kente, who described the crisis as unfortunate because the Tivs and Jukuns in Kente have coexisted peacefully for many years, appealed to the warring parties to embrace peace and sheathe their swords. He promised that all those who lost their property in the current crisis on both sides would be compensated.
He said: “This crisis is most unfortunate because after the 1991 clashes between the two ethnic groups in Kente area, the people have lived together in relative peace. I single handedly provided succour to all the affected communities by providing roofing sheets, cement and other building materials.
“I also provided boreholes to the affected communities Benue and Taraba states. But most importantly, we agreed that there was no point for us to fight as any misunderstanding could be discussed and resolved on a round table.”
When contacted, the police public relations officer in the state, Mr. David Misal, confirmed the ongoing clashes. He said after the death of two persons at the initial stage of the crisis on April 1, the police were yet to ascertain the actual casualty figure.
He, however, disclosed that the command has deployed additional officers and men to restore peace and order in the area.
In another development, two female suicide bombers suspected to be members of the Boko Haram Islamist sect at the weekend detonated explosives at the outskirts of Maiduguri, the Borno State capital, killing themselves and three others. Forty-one others were injured.
The bombers attacked Muna Dalti area, about three kilometres to the city centre on Saturday evening. Residents said they heard loud sound from the twin explosions.
Details of the bomb blasts were not known until yesterday afternoon, as officials could not immediately comment on the incident.
However, the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) confirmed the attack in a statement yesterday.
“Two female Improvised Explosives Devices (IEDs) carriers detonated their explosives within five minutes interval at Muna Dalti settlement on Saturday evening. As a result, three persons died, including the two bombers, bringing the total number of dead persons to five, while close to 41 others sustained various degrees of injuries,” NEMA spokesman in Maiduguri, Abdulkadir Ibrahim.
Ibrahim said all the injured persons have been taken to the state hospital for treatment.
Maiduguri had experienced a month of relative calm until last Saturday’s suicide bombing. The last bomb attack occurred on March 9, at Jiddari Polo area when some Boko Haram members attacked a mosque.
Also, the Kaduna State Police Command yesterday confirmed losing two of its men and killing of three bandits during exchange of gunfire in Kakangi, Birni Gwari Local Government Area of Kaduna State.
Chairman, Birni Gwari Vanguards for Security and Good Governance, Ibrahim Abubakar Nangwari, raised the alarm over invasion of the police station in the community by scores of armed bandits who came on motorcycles around 5pm on Saturday.
“The security situation has worsened due to armed banditry and kidnapping, with many communities, particularly those along Birnin-Gwari–Funtua Road, deserting their homes and taking refuge in Birnin-Gwari and elsewhere,” Ibrahim said.
Confirming the development, the police public relations officer in the state, DSP Yakubu Sabo, said though the invasion was repelled, there were causalities on both sides of engagement even as six civilians also sustained various degrees of gun wounds.
Yakubu said: “We received a distress call through the Divisional Police Officer (DPO), Randagi on April 6, at about 1900hrs that armed men in large numbers entered Kakangi village of B/Gwari Local Government Area, a neighbouring community to Niger State, shooting sporadically, attacking the villagers.
“Combined teams of PMF personnel, conventional police and vigilante were quickly mobilised to the village and engaged the bandits in fierce gun duel and successfully repelled the attack.
“Our gallant men gunned down three bandits while several others escaped into the bush with bullet wounds. However, two of our men paid the supreme sacrifice during the intense gun duel with the bandits.”
The command condemned the attack and assured members of the public that it would fish out the culprits. It also appealed to the good citizens of the state to support the police with prompt and relevant information that could help in getting rid of the bandits in the state.