Ongoing attacks by herdsmen at Danacha in Gassol Local Government Area of Taraba State have left no fewer than 19 persons dead, including women and children, with several others injured.
The state Police Public Relations Officer, David Misal, confirmed the attacks but said the casualty figure was not yet ascertained as men of the command were still combing the area for bodies and to get help to those who were wounded in the attacks.
The President of the Tiv socio-cultural group in Taraba, Mr Goodman Dan-Dahida, who spoke with Metro, said that at least seven persons were killed in villages around Danacha on Saturday by armed men before they stormed Danacha town in the early hours of Sunday, killing several others in their sleep.
Dan-Dahida said about 12 bodies had so far been recovered, bringing the number of bodies to 19, while several others were still missing.
Another eyewitness, Mr Iorlaha Akaakase said that several households were broken into and the family members slaughtered in their sleep.
According to Akaakase, “more than 25 persons were killed and many others injured. So far, they have recovered 19 bodies and about 19 persons are still missing”.
Akaakase said the crisis was precipitated by alleged theft of a motorcycle belonging to a man in the area.
Meanwhile, Mr. Solomon Yakubu, who escaped the attack in Danacha said he was woken up at about 1.00 a.m on Sunday morning by strange noise and quickly rushed out since the events of the previous evening in surrounding villages were fresh on his mind.
According to Yakubu, “we heard of how the armed men went on killing people in the surrounding villages on Saturday evening and so we went to bed with the fear that they may spill over to Danacha town. That is why when I heard some noise around 1am this morning, I quickly went out and discovered they were breaking into houses and killing people in their sleep including women and children. More than 15 persons were killed”.
Yakubu further stated that this is part of the strategy to send farmers into panic so that they would go and steal their harvest especially yam and grains.
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