As Terror Reigns in Kuteb Villages, Gov Ishaku, Wife 'Enjoy Lives Abroad’

Taraba State Governor Arch Darius Dickson Ishaku and his wife Anna are currently enjoying a vacation aboard as gunmen raided several Kuteb Villages in Southern part of the state.

 More than ten people including a toddler have been killed following an attack by suspected bandits in some Kuteb communities in the Takum Local Government Area of Taraba State within the last two weeks.

The communities are; Muji one and two, Tati, Nzurya, Kwentwen, Tukok, Kakum, Jenuwa Kwari, Ucha ,Jenuwa Nyifiye among others..

Many residents of the villages attacked by gunmen lamented that the Governor who is also contesting for Senate, Taraba South under the Peoples Democratic Party PDP has done nothing 'to sympathize with them during this hard time'

 A resident of the village said that the attackers invaded the communities on last Monday night, killing and injuring the villagers.

He said, "They blocked Muji1 route (the route that leads to Bali LGA of Taraba State) around 9pm and operated till 10pm. They later attacked Jenuwa Gida community and Nyifiye around 10pm. Both communities are very close to the Army barracks in Takum. The crisis has been on for more than three months. It is carried out by armed Fulani herdsmen.

"Two people are confirmed dead, five others are receiving treatment in Takum General Hospital.  

"A very small boy was killed in Jenuwa and a passenger in a commercial car going to Jalingo, the state capital from Takum.

"These bandits are camping in Bantaje village in Wukari LGA, Kungana village in Bali LGA, Zanbana in Donga LGA and Tose village in Takum LGA to attack Kuteb communities in Takum and Ussa LGA of Taraba State."

Also the family of Kitan are still in shock over the killing of their two sons and cousins by bandits in Jenuwa Gida Nyicwu village in Takum Local Council of Taraba State.

 Narrating how the two brothers, Rimamshong Kitan, 42 and Rikrum Kitan, 32 went to the farm and did not return home, the brother of the deceased, Danladi Kitan, said their remains are yet to be recovered.

As if that was not enough, a cousin, Rimamyang Ezekiel Kitan and a fresh graduate of the Taraba State University, Sunday Adi, whom Danladi described as a " good neighbour" was also hacked to death by bandits, terrorising the communities in Ussa and Takum councils.

 Like the two deceased brothers, Adi and Ezekiel were allegedly killed on their farms.

Adi was said to have been waiting for his call-up letter from the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) for his mandatory service when bandits truncated his dreams.

While the remains of his cousin and that of Adi, have been recovered and buried, Danladi and his family members lamented that the reverse had been the case with their two sons.

   

The family, who are seeking government intervention, expressed sadness that all efforts to recover the corpse of their two sons have failed.

 

 They also lamented that the state government is not doing much to frustrate bandits' activities in the area, stressing the need for the government at the centre to wade in.

 

Other members of the communities, who have been victims of terror, also lamented neglect by the government and tasked the government to protect them.

 

"The Governor and the state government have been quiet over attacks on Kuteb Villages in the last two weeks, he has done nothing to protect the Kuteb people and no word of sympathy from him,"  

 

A PDP stakeholder in Tati Village, Mrs Grace Rima told Taraba Truth and Facts Newspaper that the villagers felt neglected by the silence of Governor Ishaku over the ongoing attacks on Kuteb Villages in Southern Zone.

"We are not happy because we are left to ourselves in the face of these attacks, we have a governor, Senator and lawmakers non of them have spoken to condemn the killings and call attention to it, the people of Kuteb are angry with our political elites particularly Governor Ishaku.

"The governor is quiet now that he has  executive powers to address the killings in Kuteb villages, I doubt if our people will vote for him to represent them at the National Assembly during the next election, we were insulted with the pictures of the Governor enjoying vacations from several countries aboard when is homestead, the people he was elected to protect were being killed."

 

Reacting, the chairman of the state chapter of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Rev. Dr. Isaiah Magaji Jirapye, said: "The attacks, which have taken place unabatedly, have resulted in the death of many innocent people while several commuters also fall victims.

 

"CAN cannot fold its arm and watch innocent people killed. If the government cannot guarantee the security of the people then the people should be allowed to protect themselves."

 

Meanwhile, an Abuja-based Southern Taraba group, G-20 Club has called on the Taraba state government and other key stakeholders in the region to come together and tackle the issues and find lasting solutions.

 

Mr Uti-dah Volpuize, director of publicity of the group   said that the group was worried at the spade of attacks in the area especially on Jenuwa and Tati villages in Takum local government and Yangtu Development Area.

 

Volpuize said that the government and stakeholders must set aside their differences and take decisive steps to stop the killings and restore peace and security in the area as the insecurity is threatening every other aspect of life of the people, forcing many families to abandon their homes and means of livelihoods.

 

"If these situation is not addressed expediently, the future of our people is under serious threat as they can no longer engage in farming which is their primary economic activity. As we speak, nobody is even talking about development in the area. They are rather going backwards because of the incessant attacks, killings and destructions.

 

"We are therefore calling on the State Government as well as other political leaders to rise to the occasion by initiating means of bringing this situation under control before it consumes all of us. We appeal to security agencies operating in Southern Taraba to increase the intelligence gathering and intensify patrols of the countryside so as to nip any potential break down of the law in the bud" the group said.

 

They call on the people to remain vigilant and collaborate with the traditional institutions as well as security agencies by providing any useful information that will help stop the attacks.