Wole Ayodele in Jalingo
The Taraba State Police Command has confirmed the killing of seven persons in the violence that broke out on the Mambilla plateau between the Fulanis and the Mambillas.
The Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) in the state, David Misal, who confirmed this to THISDAY in Jalingo further disclosed that the state police commissioner, Mr. Yakubu Babas, has relocated to the Mambilla and would remain there until normalcy is restored.
Misal equally noted that three units of mobile policemen have been deployed to the area to maintain peace and ensure that the situation is brought under control and ensure the perpetrators of the crisis are brought to book.
The violence, according to the PPRO, erupted following a misunderstanding between a Fulani and a Mambilla at Nguroje leading to the remand in prison custody of the Mambilla man.
His kinsmen, infuriated by the remand, were said to have demanded the unconditional release of their father from prison custody and insisted that justice must be seen to have been done in the matter which eventually sparked the crisis.
To prevent the crisis from escalating, the Chairman of Sardauna Local Government Area, Mr. John Yep, in conjunction with security agencies imposed a dusk to dawn curfew across the local government area while the CP convened a stakeholders meeting to resolve the crisis.
An indigene of the area, Isaac Ngala, who spoke to THISDAY on phone, said normalcy had returned to the area. He appealed to security agents to maintain their presence to forestall further breakdown of law and order.
