Killing of a soldier to bring down an entire village. This is ridiculous!
Residents of Shinkai Village in Wukari Local Government Area of Taraba State have fled their properties following an alleged menace to raze down the village over the alleged killing of a soldier.
According to Malam Labaran Abdu, the chief of the neighborhood, armed males in navy uniform stormed the village on Sunday, March 24, 2019, and alleged that certainly one of their males was killed within the suburb of Shinkai and his rifle taken away.
“The community leaders in Shinkai told the armed men that they knew nothing about the incident, but they threatened that they will wipe off the village if the killers and the stolen rifle were not produced within three days,” Abdul instructed the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), on Tuesday.
“As a result of the threat, residents of Shinkai and surrounding villages have crossed over to Awe, Tunga, Terkura and Lafiya in the neighbouring Nassarawa State to take refuge,” he mentioned.
Labaran mentioned that the incident the armed males claimed had led to the demise of their member came about about 15 kilometre away from Shinkai, and puzzled why the folks of Shinkai must be made to bear the burden.
Reacting to the incident, Mr Simon Dogari, Taraba data commissioner, instructed NAN that he had acquired stories that there was stress in Shinkai village after a conflict between herdsmen and a few armed males believed to be troopers from “Operation Whirl stroke”, who have been on particular patrol from neighboring Benue State.
He mentioned that the report had claimed that there was a conflict between the 2 teams which left ‘one man with uniform lifeless”.
Dogari, nevertheless, puzzled why the suspected navy personnel, whose operational space was Benue, had crossed into Taraba and clashed with herdsmen.
He mentioned {that a} Special Adviser to Governor Darius Ishaku, and the Chairman of Wukari Local Government Area, have been requested to research the problem and report again.
The Commissioner appealed to the folks of Shinkai and its environs to stay calm because the state authorities was working around the clock to nip the issue within the bud.
Similarly, Mr Bala Dan-Abu, the Senior Special Assistant to the Governor of Taraba on media, who described the demise of the navy man as unlucky, urged the authorities to comply with due course of in redressing the problem.
“Two wrongs cannot make a right; instead of attacking the village, thorough investigation should be carried out to identity the suspected killers.”
He known as for calm amongst all involved, saying that every one fingers have been on deck towards resolving the matter by means of dialogue.
Efforts to talk with the Police authorities in Taraba proved abortive, however a senior official of the command mentioned that the matter was being investigated.