15 feared dead as farmers, herdsmen clash in Taraba

At least 15 persons were killed in a violent clash between farmers and herdsmen in Ussa and Takum council areas of Taraba state on Friday.

Sahabi Mahmoud, the state chairman of the Miyetti Allah cattle breeders association of Nigeria, confirmed that the incident also left several people injured.

Speaking with journalists in Jalingo on Saturday, Mahmoud expressed fear that more corpses of herdsmen might be in the bush.

Mahmoud said that more than 150 herdsmen were still missing.

“Hundreds of livestock belonging to the herdsmen were wandering in the bush with no trace of their owners,” he said.

He further called on the security agencies and the state government to come to the aid of hundreds of other cattle breeders “who were trapped in the forests of Ussa and Takum to get out alive with their animals”.

However, David Misal, the police spokesperson in the state, said that only five deaths have been confirmed.

The police spokesperson disclosed that Yakubu Babas, the state commissioner of police, has already relocated to Takum “to ensure that the crisis was brought under control”.