Taraba Facts

The Taraba State INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner, Alhaji Baba Abba is dead. Confirming the report to Channels Television via a telephone interview the Public relations officer of INEC in the state Fabian Vhamhi said he died last night in Maiduguri after a protracted illness. He was a part of the result collation exercise for the presidential election in Taraba, but gave way for the Governorship due to his illness. The deceased was deployed to Taraba state on the 7th of May 2018 to serve as the Resident Electoral Commissioner for the 2019 general elections in the state. The remains of the deceased has since been laid to rest according to Islamic rites in Maiduguri, the Borno state capital. CHANNELS TV 

Barely 48 hours after signing a peace accord to end the five-month crisis between Jukun and Tiv ethnic groups in Taraba State, a Jukun militia group attacked a community in Donga Local Government Area of the State. Local residents said Jukun militia in the early hours of Saturday attacked and burnt Tse-Akume located along Donga-Ananum road in Donga LGA. A resident, Mr. Ason Iorwa told our correspondent on the phone that the attackers numbering close to 200 invaded the village around 6:45 a.m. opened fire and set the entire village ablaze. “Tse-Akume is a big Tiv village with over 600 occupants. Though many have since fled the village for fear of attack, we still have over 200 people staying there. “I can’t give you any casualty figure now, but many people are missing, following the attack. “I don’t know why the Jukuns don’t want this crisis to end. The day a peace meeting was going on in Jalingo, they attacked Leke village in Wukari LGA and burnt the village includin...

The Taraba state police command says it has killed a notorious armed robber who has been on their wanted list for months now. In a press statement signed and issued by the Taraba state police command public relations officer, David Misal, said the success was recorded following a distress call by locals that armed men blocked Jatau/Borno kuru-Ku feeder road in Bali Local Government Area of Taraba, robbing traders returning from a nearby market. According to the statement, on receiving the distress call, the police in conjunction with Vigilante group swung into action. The statement adds that on sighting the police, members of the armed robbery gang engaged them in a gun duel which led to the death of the notorious armed robber while others fleeing escaped with bullet wounds. The statement says a fabricated revolver pistol loaded with 9.3mm ammunition, charms and a motorcycle were recovered from the scene. The statement urges members of the public to always feed the polic...

The leader of the Tiv Taraba Peoples Association,  David Uchiv,  on Friday insisted  Tiv  were  not settlers, but indigenes  of  Taraba State. Uchiv said this in an interview with our correspondent. According to the  politician,  it  is  only  the Jukun who want to be mischievous that are saying  Tiv are settlers in the state. He said, “For instance, the Jukun claimed  they founded Wukari in 1596, but by 1670 they were fighting a war in Kano and Kanem Borno. Does it mean they were attacking Kano and Kanem Borno from Wukari? This is a fallacy. “Tiv have been in what  is today Taraba State long before  Chamba people met them in 1830 in today’s  Donga Local Government Area of Taraba. “Politically, our participation in the former Wukari federation dates back to 1959 when Charles  Gaza was elected to the House of Representatives to represent Wukari federation under UMBC (United Middle Belt C...

The leaderships of the Tiv and Junkun warring factions in the Southern part of Taraba on Thursday agreed to a ceasefire to allow the return of normalcy to the area. This was contained in a communique issued at the end of a two-day peace meeting held in Jalingo, Taraba, with representatives of both tribes, government officials and state security chiefs. Government officials and security agencies in the state also attended the meeting. According to the communique, speakers at the meeting condemned the crisis and stressed the need for cessation of all forms of hostilities between the two communities. “The meeting noted that the crisis had been hijacked by criminal elements from both the Jukun and Tiv communities and therefore, the two communities should expose the criminal elements amongst them. “We also resolved to stop reprisal attacks or revenge from both parties but report all from of security breaches to the security agencies for appropriate action. “There is every ne...

The West Africa Network for Peace Building, Nigeria (WANEP-Nigeria) says at least 600 persons have been killed in the Tiv/Jukun crisis in Taraba and Benue. In a statement on Thursday, the group said thousands have been displaced in the crisis with numerous structures burnt down or vandalised. The Tiv and Jukun communities in parts of Taraba and Benue have had violent encounters in recent times triggered by struggle for land among other causes. While decrying the killings, Bridget Osakwe, WANEP national coordinator, said statistics show 41 people have been killed within three weeks in September. “Beyond the spill-over effect of violence on neighbouring communities of Benue State, inter-communal trading activities, household food consumption and income have also been affected by the escalation of violence,” Osakwe said. “Equally alarming is the impact of the conflict on agriculture and livestock activities, which happen to be the mainstay of the local economies of the conf...

Statement from the Federal Government of Nigeria on today’s developments in the Court LONDON – Earlier today, the UK Commercial Court granted the Federal Government of Nigeria’s request for leave to appeal, enabling the Government to appeal the Court’s recognition of the UK Arbitration Tribunal in the UK Court of Appeal. The UK Commercial Court also approved the Government’s application for a “stay of execution” which will prevent the plaintiff, P&ID, from enforcing the UK Arbitration Tribunal’s earlier judgment while this case is heard on appeal before the Court of Appeal. The Attorney General Abubakar Malami commented further: “I am pleased with today’s development in the court and see this as a positive resolution that constitutes an important step in the Government’s efforts to defend itself in a fair and just process. We look forward to challenging the UK Commercial Court’s recognition of the Tribunal’s decision in the UK Court of Appeal, uncovering P&ID’s out...

Soldiers have been deployed to Wukari local government area of Taraba State to clear roads which were blocked by militia and restore peace in the area. Investigation by Daily Trust revealed that many soldiers sent to the area have cleared some roads blocked by the militia and traffic has resumed on the roads. The road under patrol by soldiers on a 24-hour basis include; Wukari-Takum, Rafin-kada-Donga and Wukari-Kente road. Wukari-Joita road is also under military surveillance and patrol and motorists are now passing without attacks by militia. The soldiers, it was gathered, were working on the instructions of Army headquarters to restore peace in all areas affected by Tiv/Jukun crisis and also clear all roads where militia were attacking motorists. Daily Trust gathered that several persons were killed in the last few months along the roads in the crisis areas by suspected militia. The commander, operation Whirl stroke, Major General Adeyemi Yekini, confirmed deploym...

With worsening humanitarian crisis taking its toll on Internally Displaced Persons IDPs and others in Taraba State, the T Y Danjuma foundation, a non- governmental organization, has committed over N 1.4 billion to humanitarian services in the state. The state coordinator of the foundation Emmanuel Ishaku, disclosed this on Friday while interacting with journalist at the foundation’s office in Jalingo. Ishaku disclosed that the services which revolve around health and education, had contributed immensely to combating neglected tropical diseases with focus on maternal and child health, the blind and teacher’s training, with over 40,000 beneficiaries across the 16 local government areas of the state. “In Taraba, we have spent over N1.4 billion and that represents over 50 percent of the foundation intervention in terms of funds. “Because Taraba is the home state of the  founder, Gen. T Y Danjuma (rtd), we saw the need for the foundation to establish an office ...

Over 200 girls are expected at the first-ever U17 North East zonal female volleyball championship in Taraba state. The U17 female championship will hold from 26th to 27th September 2019 in Jalingo, Taraba state capital. The North-East zonal office of the Federal Ministry of Youth and Sports is partnering with the President of Nigeria Volleyball Federation, Engineer Musa Nimrod to identify hidden talents in the North-Eastern part of the country. Sport24.ng

- The report into the killing of police detectives and civilians by soldiers in Taraba has been submitted to the presidency - After receiving the report from the Rear Admiral Ibikunle Olaiya-led panel, the Chief of Defence Staff reviewed it and made additional recommendations - Meanwhile, Olonisakin is said to be awaiting further directives from the presidency The report into the killing of police detectives and civilians by soldiers of 93 Battalion of the Nigerian Army, Takum, Taraba state has been submitted by Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Abayomi Olonisakin to President Muhammadu Buhari, This Day reports. Recall that the Defence Headquarters constituted a seven-man joint investigation panel to unravel the circumstances that led to the killing. According to the news outlet, the CDS after receiving the report from the Rear Admiral Ibikunle Olaiya-led panel, reviewed it and made additional recommendations before transmitting the report to the president.  The re...

Born on February 2nd, 1958, Engr. Sale Mamman the Honourable Minister of Power   is an indigene of Jalingo Local Government Area  in Taraba State, Nigeria.   Sale attended L.E.A. Primary School, Lau, in Taraba State from 1966 – 1973 where he obtained his First School Leaving Certificate in 1973.  From 1975 – 1978 he also attended Technical and Vocational Training Centre, Kano, where he obtained Kano State School Certificate.  In 1981, he also acquired Kano State School Leaving Certificate from Government Technical College, Kano State. From 1982 – 1983 Sale acquired an Asst. Work Superintendent Certificate (Electrical), from Works Training School, Yola, Adamawa State.  He obtained his Ordinary National Diploma in Electrical Engineering from Kaduna Polytechnic, Kaduna State in 1988 and Higher National Diploma in Electrical Engineering from Federal Polytechnic, Mubi, Adamawa State in 1991.   Other Schools attended includes - Baye...

Prices of farm produce have crashed in Taraba State as harvested farm produce flooded markets. Daily Trust’s market survey revealed that 100 kg bag of Melon seed dropped from N70,000 to N25,000, 100kg bag of Beniseed sold at N90,000 few months ago now sold at N25,000. A 100kg bag of Maize dropped from N7500 to N4000, 100kg bag of Beans sold at N25,000 now dropped to N18,000. The survey conducted in four major produce markets in the state revealed that prices of farm produce crashed as a result of bumper harvest recorded by farmers. At Mutumbiiyu, Iware, Garba-Chede and Maihula produce markets, our reporter saw thousands of bags of harvested farm produce brought for sale by farmers to the Markets. A farmer, Mallam Bello Maigari, told our reporter that farmers had witnessed a bumper harvest, a development that led to crash of prices of farm produce across the state. DAILY TRUST 

T he United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF) has said that more than 34,000 children in Taraba State may die of severe acute malnutrition, if serious measures are not taken to immediately save the situation. Bhanu Pathak, Chief of Field Office, UNICEF Nigeria, Bauchi Field Office, raised the alarm during a courtesy call on Governor Darius Ishaku, in Jalingo. “Currently, Taraba State has an estimated 34,419 severe acute malnutrition cases. “With no health facility providing treatment, these children will be at risk of dying if the government does not intervene appropriately and timely. “Many children who might survive malnutrition in early life are condemned to permanent physical and intellectual disabilities in later life; thus productivity of the future leaders of the state will be adversely affected,” the UNICEF chief observed. Pathak also said that more than 75,000 children under five years were yet to be fully immunised from polio and other child killer dis...

A former Minister of Women Affairs, Aisha Alhassan, popularly known as Mama Taraba, who suffered massive defeat in the 2019 governorship election in Taraba State, says she has completed arrangements to return to the Peoples Democratic Party. Alhassan was the gubernatorial flag bearer of United Democratic Party in the 2019 elections in which she scored only 14,651 votes. She joined the UDP on the eve of the polls after she failed to secure the All Progressives Congress ticket, the party on which platform she contested the governorship election in 2015 and was able to secure 275,966 votes to come second. Alhassan was subsequently made the Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development by President Muhammadu Buhari, but had to resign amidst doubts over her political loyalty. She was, while still in office, overheard pledging her support to her political godfather and presidential candidate of the PDP for the 2019 election, Atiku Abubakar. Alhassan told journalists on Sund...

A special security meeting called by His Excellency, Governor Darius Dickson Ishaku held for several hours at Government House, Jalingo, Taraba State. The meeting which was attended by representatives of all the security agencies in the state took far-reaching decisions on how to end the Tiv/Jukun crisis, kidnappings and armed robbery in the state. The resolutions at the meeting were read out at a special media briefing by the Deputy Governor of Taraba State, Engr. Haruna Manu shortly after the meeting rose. The meeting decided to set up a special task force made up of 15 members each from both the Jukun and Tiv sides to find a lasting solution to the crisis between them. Another committee to address kidnappings and other related crimes will also be set up to be made up of critical stakeholders in the security agencies. The meeting is a follow up to the one held recently in Abuja on the Tiv/Jukun crisis where it was agreed that the crisis being a Taraba State ...

Some gunmen suspected to be kidnappers on Thursday attacked the home of a man identified as Alhaji Usman Bobo in Jalingo, Taraba State The gunmen attacked the man with a machete and whisked his daughter, Farida Usman, away around 2:00am. An eyewitness, Baban Yola, told Channels Television that the kidnappers attacked Alhaji Usman after he vehemently refused to follow them and they in anger took the 18-year-old girl away. A family member explained that the abductors have since contacted the family using the Farida’s phone, asking if Alhaji Usman is still alive. Alhaji Usman who survived the attack is currently receiving treatment at an undisclosed hospital. The abductors are yet to make demands are. All efforts to speak to the police for confirmation proved abortive as the police public relations officer in Taraba state neither picked his phone calls nor responded to text messages. CHANNELS TV

As   governor Darius Ishaku celebrates the first 100 days in office since the inception of his second tenure, he opens up on how insecurity has affected his administration and slowed down the pace of development. The governor who spoke through his Senior Special Assistant  on media, Mr Bala Dan Abu also cleared the air on his alleged involvement with the notorious kidnap kingpin, Hamisu Bala Wadume and gave insight into the recent peace meeting held at the instance of the President to bring lasting solution to the problem. Daily Sun presents the excerpts. How will you assess the first 100 Days of the governor for this second tenure? Well, like you know, this is not his first tenure. He is a returning governor, so the issue of the first 100 days in office does not really count again. This is a continuation of the first term, so there is no celebration. We are continuing with the projects that we started in the first tenure but could not complete them for some reasons...