Jalingo residents panic over attacks, killings

Residents of Jalingo, the Taraba State capital, have been thrown into palpable fears over the recent spate of attacks and killing of people in the city.

Tribune Online gathered on Wednesday night that one person was killed in the Lassandi area of Jalingo, and a medical doctor with Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Dr. Wallace George, was attacked in his house behind the Catholic Cathedral, Mile 6, Jalingo.

Two vigilante members who came out to repel the attackers were reportedly shot and killed by the attackers.

A resident, Nurudeen Mohammed, who spoke to Tribune Online on the situation, expressed fear that the trend might degenerate into a more chaotic situation with elections around the corner.

“This development is scary and security agencies must sit up to tackle this ugly trend. If people are not safe even in Jalingo, where will they be safe in the state?

“I am afraid that we may have a situation at hand that we might not be able to handle with elections around the corner,” he said..

Reacting to the attack on Dr. Wallace George, the state chairman of the Nigeria Medical Association (NMA), Dr. Edeth Nkantah, said that doctors in the city were traumatized by the incident.

“Unnecessary and unprovoked attacks on medical personnel are condemnable and can affect the health and well-being of other members of the society.

“If doctors are not safe in their working and residential environments, industrial harmony may not be guaranteed and they may be forced to down tools at short notice,” Dr Nkantah said..

When contacted, acting Police Public Relations Officer in the state, DSP Gambo Kwache, said investigation into the matter was ongoing and advised the public to go about their normal businesses as more personnel had been deployed to track down the killers.