KUTEB YATSO OF NIGERIA (KYN) OFFICIAL STATEMENT ON TAKUM KILLINGS

PRESS RELEASE

GROWING INSECUIRTY IN TAKUM: A CALL FOR THE PROCECUTION OF SUSPECTS WHO WERE IN POSSESION AND DUMPLING OF TWO CORPSES ALONG UKPA ROAD IN TAKUM LGA AND OTHER MATTERS CONNECTED THEREWITH.

Our attention has been drawn  in news on social media over possession and the dumpling of two corpses at the road from Takum through Kufi leading to Ukpa (that is an area without any Police Outpost). Coincidentally, this is the same axis where the corpse of Kidnapped and gruesomely murdered Hon Hosea Ibi was dumped in January 2018. Still before and after the 2019 election a business man popularly called Mayo was kidnapped and released after months in the hands of his captors. Prince Dr Sule Audu, the PMO Takum General Hospital and many others are still in the hands of kidnapers. This has continued in spite of the meetings convened by Taraba and Benue State Governments with Community Leaders from the border towns LGAs to improve security surveillance in their respective communities..
These recent incidents of kidnapping, killing and or dumping of two corpses which were claimed to be fulani men but later said to be Tiv men or robbers has further raised tension,  concern and questions over the poor state of security in Taraba, particularly in Takum Local Government Area. This recent incident in Takum forced people to be very curious and they demanded to be allowed to see the faces of the murdered men to ascertain whether they were actually Fulani, Tiv or members of their tribes.
The killings is a further source of concern because gruesome killings by criminals have ended in instigating inter communal conflicts. From the way the news on recent two corpses was narrated and the many contradictory statements presented, also led to the eventual reaction of Takum youths at Takum Police Station The message from these reactions tu and the Government is that enough is enough because there is growing believe that there is a skeleton in the cupboard and is making the people annoyed. This is is a signal that this trend is enough else it may sparked off violent public protest as well as intergroup conflict, This would have started if not for professional handling by security agencies in Takum when the Hilux was sighted by vigilant youths.
The people are worried because if at security meetings, communities have been charged to increase security surveillance, and such an increased surveillance has led to the catching of the two persons with the two corpses, then it becomes a source of concern for someone from the Government cycle posses to defend the acts of the two suspect in possession of the two corpses, that they are members of vigilante group.
According to the people’s surveillance report, the Hilux vehicle that conveyed the corpses moved from Takum town without entering the Police Divisional out post in Takum, passed the police out post at Kwambai and went into Ukpa road where they dumped the corpses. Weighed along the contrary view expressed by a government official the of the questions being raised now by the people in Takum are:-
(i) Assuming the corpses were for robbers as claimed by some sources reported in  social media, where did the exchange of fire took place between the so-called vigilante and the robbers that the people of Takum LGA did not hear before the corpses were found?
(ii ) Assuming the corpses are for robbers as claimed in the media, the corpses ought to have been taken to Takum Police Divisional outpost not Ukpa road where there is no police outpost..
(iii) Assuming the corpses were for robbers, the public ought not to have been denied the chance to see the faces of the corpses.
(iv) Assuming the two persons are members of a vigilante group, then if State security agencies use their vehicle with plate numbers, then it is not proper for "vigilante to use their Hilux" without a plate number.
Therefore, some of our people have started to view the dumping of the corpses at Kwambai and Jenuwa axis precisely along the way to Ukpa with great security concern. This is because this is not the first act by killers to dump corpses around this area. This action makes the people to believe that it is an intentional act to sow the seed of intergroup violent conflict to achieve other ulterior motives, by those who do not wish to  see the people of Kwambai and Jenuwa live in peace to get other developments. The claims that the victims of murder are Tiv was therefore to instigate Tiv attacks on the people of Jenuwa and Kwambai, so that Tiv people and their local allies may attack our people.
To this end, We commend community surveillants that alerted the army and the police. We also commend the quick response by the Nigeria Army, the police and other security agents in Takum LGA for there prompt action to nap the driver of the vehicle and his partners as well as conveying the corpses back to Takum Divisional Police outpost.
Finally,
(1) We appeal to the relevant authorities to resist the temptations of changing the true narrative in other to free those who aided and abetted crimes in Takum LGA.
(2) We also appeal to the people to continue to be law abiding with hope that the security will carry out their duty without fear of intimidation from those who feel they are above the law.
(3) The people of Takum have given peace to the Government. The people want development in the area of justice. In respect to the present subject the justice required are:-
(a) The suspects who aided and abetted the Kidnapping, killing and dumping of the corpse of Hon Hosea Ibi be prosecuted at a court of competent jurisdiction without further delay.

(b) The fact that the so-called armed robbers who have not been proved guilty at a court of competent jurisdiction, but were killed by the so called vigilante who have no powers to kill but arrest and hand over to the police but failed to do so, but decided to dumped the two corpses at the road leading to Ukpa, should be prosecuted.
(3) The Police Officer who misused his gun and resulted in the killing of a person at the police premises should be prosecuted and compensation paid to the deceased’s family.
(4) In Taraba State there is no Madrid traders check point in any other local Government except Takum. It is suspected that the Madrid check points are used for passing information to criminals in Takum on who goes in and out of Takum in the interest of kidnappers. Therefore we appeal that the Madrid check points be abolished.


Signed
William Chiusi
PRO
For the President, Kuteb Yatso of Nigeria