Many killed in fresh Taraba clashes

At least 50 people were said to have been killed in a resurgence of crisis at the ancient town of Wukari in Wukari Local Government area of Taraba State.


Residents say that the unrest started at about 5am on Tuesday, with the sounds of Muslims calls for prayers, and was followed with sounds of gunshots.

The sounds were said to have attracted the attention of sleeping residents, who rose up in response. In the ensuing pandemonium, many people were said to have been killed by men allegedly wearing military uniform.

Executive Director of Stefanos Foundation, Mr. Mark Lipdo, told our correspondent that he received the report at about 5.30am on Tuesday following a distress call by some residents.

He said many of the residents have relocated to surrounding villages to avoid the onslaught of the marauders. The injured have been evacuated to hospitals in the neighboring Benue state

The attackers were said to have set ablaze the brewery deport located behind the palace of the Wukari monarch, after which unknown gunmen were said to have gone ahead, shooting sporadically, thereby killing many people in the process.

While some sources put the records of persons so far killed to be between forty to fifty-five, other sources which include the police and the Red Cross, are yet to make public the records of casualties as the exchange of fire is still said to be going on as at the time of filing in this report.

President of the Youths of Vision Wukari, Mr. Tsa-asen Agbu, told newsmen that “at about 5 o’clock this morning, unknown face stormed the town and burnt down the brewery behind the palace of Aku-uka.”

He added that the attackers eventually over-powered the security agents guarding the town.

Agbu expressed displeasure at the resurgence of communal clashes in the ancient town, blaming some politicians for stoking crisis in the area.