Soldiers, 50 Others Killed

No fewer than 50 people, including a soldier, were reportedly killed and several others injured in Wukari, the headquarters of Wukari Local Government Area of Taraba State yesterday, following a bloody clash between the Fulani herdsmen and Jukuns in the area.

Places of worships were among several buildings that were burnt by the belligerent groups.
The crises reportedly started Tuesday at 10a.m. at Nwokyo village, near Wukari town, last week.
It was said the situation escalated when the Jukuns, who went on a reprisal attack, lost seven of their members Tuesday evening.

The Jukuns in Wukari were alleged to have been further infuriated when they saw the corpses of their men being conveyed to the Wukari General Hospital morgue at 4.30p.m. and started attacking suspected Fulani or Muslims in the area.

Speaking with newsmen on the crises, the member representing Wukari I at the Taraba State House of Assembly, Ishaya Gani, said that his immediate elder brother was killed during the incident.
He said that the incident was worse than last year’s religious crises which led to the killing of over 200 people, pointing out that the victims would be given a mass burial later yesterday.

Gani also blamed the acting governor of Taraba State, Garba Umar, for neglecting the security advices given him by stakeholders.

He also revealed that a soldier was killed while two others were critically wounded, quoting the report he received from the Wukari.

According to Gani, when some Fulani herdsmen from some neighbouring states started making life   unbearable for the people of the area, he called on the acting governor to order the deployment of  more security men at some strategic areas of Wukari council, but that Umar failed to listen to him.