Thirty-five people, including a soldier were feared killed at Wukari in Taraba State in a fresh violent clash between the native Jukuns and Hausa settlers in the ancient city.
Besides, no fewer than 100 people, including two soldiers, were said to have sustained varying degrees of injuries in the clash and are currently on admission at the General Hospital in Wukari and other medical facilities in the ancient town.
The clash, which was triggered by the killing of Jukun youths at Nwokyo village by Fulani herdsmen in which nine people were killed, erupted at about 7:30p.m. on Tuesday as Jukuns and the Hausa’s engaged in a gun duel which lasted till 11a.m. yesterday before the situation was brought under control by soldiers from 93 Battalion, Adda Barracks, Takum.
Though the state police command claimed only seven people were killed in the bloody duel, residents and other sources told THISDAY that the casualties from the battle were far and above 15 among whom is an elder brother to the Chairman of the House of Asembly Committee on Information, Hon Daniel Ishaya Gani.
THISDAY gathered that the clash was triggered when Wukari youths cited the corpses of those killed at Nwokyo village, a suburb of Wukari by Fulani herdsmen on Tuesday when they were brought for burial and they quickly mobilised for a reprisal on the Hausa community in the town.
However, the Hausa community, which had adequately prepared for war in case of any eventuality due to their being at the receiving end in the previous clashes with the Jukuns, responded swiftly to the onslaught of the Jukuns and a gun battle ensued which lasted till 11a.m. yesterday before it was brought under control.
In a swift reaction aimed at preventing a further escalation of the clashes, the state acting Governor, Alhaji Garba Umar, yesterday imposed a 24 curfew in the town while a detachment of soldiers from the 93 Battalion Takum had also been drafted to the community to restore peace.
Addressing journalists at his residence in Jalingo yesterday, Gani said his brother; Mr. Yakubu Musa Galumje Jnr., was dragged out of his house by his assailants who smashed his head with dangerous weapons before setting his house ablaze.
Speaking in an emotion laden voice, Gani further told journalists that beside killing his brother, the assailants equally set ablaze his newly constructed house which he planned to inagurate at the end this month just as he berated the acting governor for not heeding earlier calls to send troops and riot policemen to the area to forestall the clash.
National President of Jukun Youths, Mr. Dante T. Angyo, who spoke to THISDAY in a telephone interview, said the people of the community had became helpless and vulnerable to attacks following the refusal of the state government to take pro-active measures to forestall the clashes.
Angyo, who is also the Chairman of the Peace Committee put in place by the state government to find a lasting solution to the incessant clashes in the area told THISDAY Fulani militia group that had been wreaking havoc in the area especially those that attacked mission quarters wore military uniform and were shouting Allau Akbar before unleashing terror on their targets.
He however raised alarm that information available to him revealed that Fulani herdsmen are converging at Sansani in Gassol local government area of the state with the aim of launching fresh attacks on Jukun and Tiv villages in the area just as he urged the state government to act fast by ensuring the deployment of military personnel to the vulnerable villages and communities in the area to forestall fresh attacks.
When contacted, Head of the Red Cross Society in the state, Umar T. Waziri, confirmed the clashes but noted that it was still impossible for his people to go to the field to take statistics of the casualties and extend of damages to properties due to the persistent and massive exchange of fire going on in the town.
According to him, “Our men are on ground but for now no information on ground because as we are talking now, gunfire is still going on there. So it is not possible for us to get the accurate number of casualties.”
Meanwhile, the Police Public Relation Officer (PPRO), ASP Joseph Kwaji, told journalists that seven persons were killed in the clashes and that the Police Command has deployed its men to the town to restore and forestall further escalation of the clashes.
Special Assistant to the acting governor on Media and Publicity told newsmen that the state was collaborating with all the security agencies to maintain peace in the areas saying “government has been supporting them morally and financially to restore lasting peace in Wukari, Ibi, Takum, Gassol and other crisis prone areas in the state.”
In another development, DHQ spokesman Maj-General Chris Olukolade said the troops deployed to restore law and order in Wukari, Taraba State, had apprehended 14 armed men who were involved in the fighting during the civil disturbances in the town early in the week.
He said the fighting resulted in the burning of no fewer than 25 houses and displacement of over 200 persons.
“The troops also captured a building where arms were being fabricated, four locally fabricated machine guns, one sub machine gun, four single barrel guns as well as 21 live cartridges were recovered in the process”, he revealed.
