BY AMEH IDUJAGI, JALINGO – Hundreds of residents of Shinkai village in Wukari Local Government Area of Taraba State have fled their homes following threats of attacks by armed men dressed in military uniform.
The gunmen promised to raze down the village if they don’t produce the killer of one of their members within three days.
The community leader Malam Labaran Abdu told our correspondent on Tuesday that on Sunday, March 24, 2019, some armed men in military uniform came in three Hilux vans alleging that one of their men was killed in the suburb of Shinkai and his rifle taken away.
Labaran explained that although community leaders in Shinkai had told the armed men that they knew nothing about the incident but uniform men threatened that they will wipe out the village if the killer and their rifle is not produced within three days.
He said that as result of the threat, hundreds of families from Shinkai and surrounding villages have crossed over to Awe, Tunga, Terkura and Lafiya in the neighbouring Nassarawa State to take refuge.
Labaran explained that even though the incident the armed men claimed led to the death of their member took place about 15 kilometers away from Shinkai, they wondered why the people of Shinkai should be the ones to bear the burden.
Confirming the report in Jalingo on Tuesday, the Taraba state Commissioner for Information, Mr Simon Dogari said he has received reports from the area that there is tension in Shinkai village after a clash between herdsmen and some armed uniform men suspected to be soldiers from “Operation Whirl stroke” on special patrol from neighboring Benue State.
Dogari said that the report has it that the clash between the two groups left one uniform man dead and wondered why the suspected military personnel whose operational area was Benue crossed into Taraba and clash with herdsmen.
He said the Special Adviser to Governor Darius Ishaku and the Chairman of Wukari Local Government Area have been asked to investigate the issue and report back appropriately.
The Commissioner appealed to the people of Shinkai and its environs to remain calm as the state government is working round the clock to nip the problem in the bud.
Similarly, the Senior Special Assistant to the Governor of Taraba state on media, Mr Bala Dan-Abu, described the death of the military man was unfortunate but urged the authorities to follow due process in redressing the issue.
He said; “Two wrongs cannot make a right. Instead of attacking the village, thorough investigation should be carried out to identity the suspect.”
