Taraba renew attack: We saw our council chairman, army personnels among attackers, Community leaders allege

The district Head of Mbadugh/ Mbayongu in Takum local government area of Taraba State, Zaki, Thomas Yamsa has alleged that the military personnels and the Takum local government council chairman, Hon. Shiban Tikari were among the attackers of their villages yesterday in Takum local government area of the state. 

Chief Yamsa, and Mr. Auva Asema made the allegation in an interaction with Tribune Online on Friday said, they saw some group of Nigerian army from 93 battalion Takum along side the council chairman Hon. Shiban Tikari among the attackers who launched a deadly attack on the villages of Tyolaha, Tse Ikyo, and Campo-gbenger, all in Takum local government around 6:am on Thursday.

According to the community leaders, the attackers alongside the military personnels and the Takum local government chairman, razed down the entire villages and carted away some valuable items.

“We saw the council chairman of Takum local government and some group of military personnel surround our villages and asked everyone to leave.

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“We had no power but to step out, they packed some valuable items and razed down the entire villages.

“If you check the history of Taraba State in terms of violence, we are the only people that have no questionable character. We are still in shock to be under this deadly attack led by the Takum local government chairman and the military.

Up till now, we are imagining what could be their reason for the action. We are law abiding citizens, we are surprise why the council chairman has executed such a barbaric act on the defenseless people like us.

“We are homeless, both children, old and nursing mothers are living in ashes without clothes and food to eat.

The Nigerian army has never displayed professionalism in handling security issues like this, how on earth would the entire community be criminals?

“We are calling on the federal government, governor Darius Ishaku and the international humanitarian and peace agencies to come into the matter to save us from this situation and it further occurrence.

But Hon. shiban Tikari, the Takum local government council chairman while responding to the allegation, denied having knowledge of any attack in the local government.

“I am not even aware of any attack in my local government not to talk of me leading the military to attack.

“I have been away from the local government for up to four weeks now, was it my spirit that they saw or it was in their dreams?

“I am not aware of this development, I am even hearing it for the first time,” the council chairman denied.

Meanwhile, efforts to speak to Maj- Gen. Yakini  Adeyemi, the commanding officer of Operation Whirl Stroke in Benue and Sector 4 in Taraba proved negative as his mobile contacts were not connecting.

NIGERIAN TRIBUNE