.As explosion rocks Jalingo
No fewer than 20 locals were killed and houses razed during a leadership tussle that erupted in Karim Lamido Local Government Area of Taraba State.
The Wurkum and the Karimjo tribes in the Local Government took arms against each other over disagreement on the appointment of a traditional ruler in the area.
The authorities, according to reports, have commenced moves to mitigate the crisis, even as the warring tribes had presented their demands and grievances.
According to a report by the BBC Hausa Service monitored by our correspondent on Monday, crisis erupted after Alhaji Abubakar Haruna was presented with a staff of office, when he succeeded his father who ruled over the Wurkum for 47 years in Karim Lamido Local Government Area of Taraba State.
Comrade Wilfred Kwamchi, leader of the Wurkum people worldwide, told journalists that although the crisis started since Friday night, there was a semblance of peace now in the headquarters of the Local Government.
He however lamented that in villages where the Wurkum people lived, there were destructions as people’s homes were being razed and some children killed.
He said ” many houses belonging to our people were burnt down and their food stuff taken away…. We cannot say the exact number of people killed, but many lives were lost, about 20,” he alleged.
He said the government had mobilized soldiers and mobile police operatives to area.
“We don’t know what caused this crisis, this is because we’ve a royal father in the area known as Wurkum District. When he died, his son was coroneted last Thursday. When he was presented with a staff of office, our neighbours known as Karimjo, started burning tyres inside Karim Lamido town. We don’t know why.”
Asked whether the Karimjo people were protesting against the appointment of the new ruler, he said ” I don’t know why they would be protesting because that royal stool was never open for competition with any other tribe in Karim Lamido town. The domain is for the Wurkum people. We are appealing to the government, we want to live in peace with everybody.”
However, Kennedy James who was the Karimjo youth leader worldwide,said they did not attacked the Wurkum people and they’ve never fought them.
“When the new leader was corronated and came to the town, some of our youths and our leaders went and felicitated with him. Afterward, crisis erupted and we lost about 10 of our youths. Security operatives and hunters shot our youths,” he alleged.
When reminded that it was their people who first organized a protest, he said the reason was that their people wanted to show their grievances on alleged injustices meted on them.
“For 3 consecutive times, leaders were installed but we were not involved. We were thinking our people have been marginalized. We are in the proposal and were gazetted to be part of the leadership since during the defunct Gongola state. This time around we thought they would install one amongst us; we are not Wurkum we are agitating for Karim Chiefdom,” he said.
“We have always been peace loving, we’ve now stopped our youths from doing anything, we would leave everything to the Almighty. If they look for us, we would sit down for reconciliation,” he said.
The Police in Taraba state were yet to react to the incident.
Meanwhile, On Sunday night an explosive device exploded in the Taraba State capital, Jalingo leaving no one dead.
The incident occurred at the Doruwa drinking joint opposite one of the commercial banks along Barde Way.
According to an eyewitness, “The incident happened at about 8:30 pm under a bench in Jega’s house of Doruwa, Jalingo LGA of the State.
Also the Jalingo LGA Commandant of the VGN, Munir Bello Abubakar identified Laraba Dauda as one of the victims who was ceverelly injured as a result of the explosion.
Abubakar added that others that sustained minor injuries includes Doris Paul, Peace Danjuma, Lina Danladi as well as Emmanuel and his friend who could not mention his name.
Recalled that the Doruwa explosion is the 4th to have occurred in the state capital since 2022, and 5th in the state since last year.
It was gathered that the affected persons were rushed to an undisclosed hospital for medical attention, just as men of the Nigerian police anti-bomb squad cordoned off the area to avert another blast in the event of any planted nearby.
Both the State government and the security authorities are yet to release a statement regarding the incident.
When contacted for comment on the incident, the Police Public Relations Officer of the Taraba State Police Command, SP Usman Abdullahi Jada did not pick up the call nor respond to an SMS sent to his inbox up to the time of filing this report.
