Houses burnt in Taraba over change of school’s name

At least 14 houses were said to have been burnt and two people injured following a renewed attack on Dan-Anacha village in the Gassol Local Government Area of Taraba State.

Local residents said trouble started on Thursday following the directive of Governor Darius Ishaku that the name of the secondary school in the community be changed from Dan-Anacha to Kwararafa.

Mr Kelvin Katyo of Taraba Tiv Youth Council told our correspondent that the governor had on November 15, 2019 in a letter through the Executive Secretary, post-School Management Board, directed the name change which did not go down well with the members of the community.

According to him, pupils of the school who were not comfortable with the name change staged a protest demanding that the governor revert the decision. But they were attacked by irate youths.

Katyo said, “The Chief of Tiv in Gassol, Zaki Erentsa Simon, had prevailed on the Tiv people in the town to remain calm after the protest. But in the night, some people suspected to be Governor Ishaku’s sympathisers attacked and burnt 14 houses belonging to the Tiv people in the town.

“We wonder why the governor is doing what he is doing now. We don’t need a name change now because it will escalate tension in the state.”

Police Public Relations Officer in the state, David Misal, said he was not aware of the development, but promised to get back to our correspondent, which he was yet to do at the time of filing this report.

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