Two killed, scores injured as fresh crisis erupts in Taraba community

The Taraba State Police Command has confirmed that two persons have been killed in the ongoing renewed battle in the Karim-Lamido Local Government Area of the state.

It also confirmed that no fewer than five villages were burnt down by the rampaging youths.

Making the confirmation on Saturday, the Command’s Public Relations Officer, PPRO, Abdullahi Usman, said the ongoing upheaval in the council is a “gorilla welfare.”

The Wurkun and Karinjo ethnic groups of the council have been at loggerheads over where the headquarters of the traditional stool of the area should be situated.

The command has blamed the ongoing attacks on the Karinjo community, adding that anti-riot policemen, soldiers and other security operatives have been deployed to the area.

He also said the Karinjo engaged mercenaries from the nearby Lau local government, a situation which led to the destruction of five villages belonging to the Wurkun.

The PPRO, who noted that the command is on top of the situation, said normalcy would soon return to the two communities and the council at large.

It would be recalled that a few days before the inauguration of the incumbent administration, over 13 persons were killed, and several houses burnt in the council.

More to the destruction and killings, many people, the majority of whom were women and children, were displaced.

The recent crisis, which began in the early hours of today, was said to have led to the burning down of houses and destruction of property in Garin Marwa, Sarkin Kudu, Sallamin Kala and Yashi Pena.

An eyewitness, Seth Samuel Sule, who said many domestic animals were carted away, urged the government to wade into the crisis.

He also called on the governments to collaborate with security agencies to deploy more security personnel to the communities and the council.

At the time of filing this report, fleeing persons from Karim-Lamido had sought refuge in nearby councils.