Village Head And Scores Killed As Herdsmen Attacked Taraba District

Armed men suspected to be herders, have launched an attack on the Kudi district of Bali Local Government Area of Taraba State, killing three persons report Rhapsodi Affos Blog

Among the victims of the attack is the Mai-Angwan Tiv in Kundi district, Zaki Terzungwe Anjua who was dismembered by the herders.

The attack occurred on Monday, barely a few hours to the northeast governors forum which is slated for Tuesday and Wednesday in Taraba state.

The victims of the attack are those who have just returned to the community from the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camps following directives issued by the governor, Darius Ishaku.

Last month, Ishaku had urged all displaced persons from the Bali council to return to their communities and should be allowed access to their homes and farmlands.

The attackers were said to have taken over the village head’s farmland and killed him. This was to prevent the victim from drawing the attention of both the governor and security operatives as the governor had earlier warned persons who derive joy in confiscating IDPs' lands to desist or be visited with the long arm of the law.

An eyewitness, who is also related to the deceased village head, said the attackers in their numbers stormed their compound “and shot at our father before cutting him into pieces with cutlass alongside other two persons.”

The attack was also noticed to have occurred 48 hours after the Public Relations Officer of Miyetti Allah, Murtala Usman, told media practitioners that the crisis between the Fulani and Tiv in the Bali council had been resolved.

A senior staff member of the council said the attention of the council chairman and the security operatives had been drawn to the incident, adding that the perpetrators would soon be brought to justice.