700 displaced persons flee to Jalingo after latest Wukari killing

Following persistent inter-tribal conflicts between the Jukun and Hausa communities in Wukari and Ibi Local Government Areas of Taraba State, more than 700 displaced people  fled to Jalingo, the state capital, on Friday.

According to NAN, the displaced persons assembled at Investment Quarters in Jalingo, complaining that they had no shelter and food; and they needed assistance.

They appealed to the Taraba government to provide them with relief materials to cushion the effect of the heavy losses they suffered in the crisis, saying their safety was no longer guaranteed in Wukari.

Alhaji Sani Sale, president of Wukari Federation of Muslim Ummah, blamed the crisis on intolerance and urged the people to learn to tolerate one another for peace and stability.

“My grandparents died in Wukari. So, you can see that there is no way someone will say I am not a stakeholder in Wukari,” he said.

Hussainatu Buhari, who lost five of her relations in the recent crisis – the fourth this year – said proactive measures must be taken to curb the senseless killings.

She called on the state government to, as a matter of urgency, find a new settlement for them since their safety could not be guaranteed in Wukari.

Alhaji Danladi Shehu, an elder in Wukari, wondered why the peace deal recently signed by all the ethnic groups in Wukari collapsed.

He insisted that traditional rulers in the area had not done enough in instilling discipline and tolerance into their subjects.

Shehu urged the government and security agencies in the state to review the security situation in Wukari with a view to a finding lasting solution.

Press secretary to the acting governor, Mr Kefas Sule, said officials had been directed to visit the Investment Quarters, evaluate the situation, and recommend relief materials for the displaced persons.

“The state government is considering the establishment of another camp in Jalingo to compliment the ones in Gasol, Wukari and Ibi,” he said.

“All victims of the crises would be given treatment free of charge at government hospitals.”

During the most recent of the recurring violence in Wukari, which was on June 15, 15 people were killed, 2,165 houses were burnt, while 2,130 people were displaced.

About 170 people who sustained severe injuries during that attack are still receiving treatment at the Jalingo Specialist Hospital.