Taraba Facts

Mary Yakubu, a forty-year-old lady, was arrested by police detectives while trying to convey 23 children to an unknown location.  Mary, a native of Maraban Baissa in Donga Local Government Area of Taraba State, was at the time of her arrest a teacher in one of the primary schools in Bali town.She wasarrested following a tip off by some people in the town who saw her with the innocent children and knowing very well they were not her biological children. She was brought to Police command headquarters in Jalingo where she confessed that she took the children from their parents under the guise of enrolling them into primary school.  Mary Yakubu,when she was paraded before newsmen,said it was the parents of the children that gave her the children willingly to enrol into school. She told police during interrogation that there were more children in her custody. The suspect according to the spokesperson of the command, DSP David Misal, had claimed that ...

School Zip community in Karim_Lamido  Local Government Area has called on Taraba State government to repair the only primary school in the town which had been in a state  of disrepair for many years.  Spokesperson of the community, Mallam Hassan Abubakar, told North East Trust in an interview at Zip town that teaching had been stopped for many years  because of deplorable condition of the school.  He said the roofing of the school was about to collapse while most classes and offices had  no doors or  windows. He said well-to-do parents in the community took their children to schools in Mutumbiyu, which is located across River Benue, while children of the poor in the community no longer go to school.   Mallam Hassan Abubakar explained that it is the desire of members of the community to give their children education but because of the dilapidated structures of the school, their dream was shattered. He said the community had...

Three hundred persons whose samples were recently taken from Taraba State to the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), Abuja, have tested negative, Commissioner of Health, Innocent Vakkai, disclosed on Wednesday. Vakkai, accompanied by the Commissioner of Information Danjuma Adamu and State officials of the NCDC, spoke at a press conference in Jalingo. He declared: “Taraba has no active case of Covid-19 at the moment.” Taraba residents, on lockdown, are in jubilation following news of their zero status of Coronavirus, it was learnt. Vakkai, who heads the Task Force on Covid-19 in the State, said the samples of the 300 residents were gotten through “Contact Tracing.” He explained that Taraba had only 18 positive cases but the patients have since been treated and discharged. He said the Task Force on the pandemic was doing its best to maintain the zero status, adding that the State Government has provided a 100-bed facility at the isolation centre located in the NYS...

Inspector General of Police  Operatives of the Nigerian Police in Taraba state have killed eight notorious kidnappers who have been on their wanted lists for months. The hoodlums were killed in Bali local government area of the state after reliable intelligence gathering that the miscreants were set to kidnap some residents of the local government area. This was made known by the state’s police public relations officer, David Misal when he paraded the remains of the eight kidnappers on Friday. According to Misal, on sighting operatives of the Nigerian police, the kidnappers opened fire and a gun duel ensued which led to their deaths and recovery of army camouflage, arms, and ammunition. Misal warned criminal elements to surrender or desist from their criminal acts or face the full wrath of the law. CHANNELS TV

 24, 2020 Governor Darius Dickson Ishaku attending to matters of crucial importance to the state. Taraba State Governor, Arc. Darius Dickson Ishaku, and USAID effective water supply and sanitation services E-WASH has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to improve the management and delivery of Water and Sanitation to the people of the state. The new MoU was signed during a teleconference meeting between the two partners held recently. Gov. Ishaku who was highly elated after the meeting said his administration was working hard to ensure that reliable water and sanitation services reach 90 percent of the state before the end of his second tenure. The programme is to help the people of the state live healthier lives through reliable access to clean water. The MOU signed by the two partners underlines the commitments on their part to jointly develop a professionally managed, commercially oriented and accountable state water board. In a statement releas...

Incessant ethnic clashes in Taraba State are becoming the norm rather than the rule. Recent happenings in the state have shown that if nothing is done and fast, the state will become a centre of death and destruction in the country.  A recent investigation by this paper revealed that in the last one month, at least 149 persons were confirmed to have died from clashes between ethnic militias. Thousands of persons were forced to move from their houses and sought refuge with neighbours. Similarly, the various clashes led to destructions of property and economy of many in the communities. The crises in the state have been lingering for many years. It is principally between Jukuns and Tivs. The Jukuns always allege that the Tivs, who moved in from the neighbouring Benue, are taking over their land. However, recent happenings have seen an extension of hostilities among other ethnic groups, who hitherto were living peacefully. On May 5, many people were reported dead in a cla...

The people of Bajumba in Taraba state are really hard-pressed for water as they have to depend on just a well as their main source for the essential. Daily Trust reports that at 12 midnight, the residents of the community orderly make a long queue as the well is opened for use. What makes the whole situation horrible is not only that they all depend on a single source for water but that the queue begins from 6 pm, six hours earlier, to the opening time.  It should be noted that the well was constructed by one Danbaba 27 years ago when he was the chairman of Bali local government area. The situation becomes worse during the dry season where every other seemingly source of water is dried out. “It is a matter of first come first get.  And the process is always orderly. We are all related to each other. We are from the same tribe, Wurkum, and that is the uniting factor among us," a resident told Daily Trust reporter. The residents are not only facing a problem of water...

Tiv and Jukun in Taraba are trading blame over the killing of eight Fulani along Wukari-Rafin kada road in Wukari local government area of the state by suspected militia.  The chairman of Wukari local government area, Mr Adigrace Daniel accused Tiv militia of killing the 8 Fulani and also attacking Jukun villages The eight persons were said to be on their way from Wukari to Rafin-kada when the incident occurred.  The chairman alleged that it was the Tiv militia that ambushed 8 Fulani who were traveling in a bus and killed them along Wukari- Rafinkada road.   Adigrace also accused Tiv militia of killing Jukun at Nuka and Ndessin villages in Wukari local government area. President of Jukun Youths and Cultural Development Association,  Zando Hoku, also reacting on the attacks claimed that it was Jukun travelers that was targeted by the militia but the Fulani became the Victims. He said 2 Jukun,Isa Wumubo a driver who was conveying passengers in a S...

● Mosques (Masjid) and Churches to be opened for worshippers  Earlier today the State Deputy Governor, Haruna Manu made the announcement during a press briefing on Jalingo. READ GOVERNOR ISHAKU'S MESSAGE I have reviewed the lockdown within the State, henceforth, movement will be from Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, within the time range of 8am to 6pm respectively. Churches and Mosques can resume their joint worship and services with total compliance to social distance and other Covid-19 guidelines as outlined by WHO and the NCDC.

This picture not from Gassol  Four kidnapped suspects were burnt to death in Dobeli village, Gassol Local Government Area of Taraba State on Saturday. The kidnapped suspects met their waterloo when a hunter from Dobeli village sighted a group of persons, numbering over 16, holding meeting in the bush close to Dobeli village at about 5:30 am. According to an eye witness, the said hunter promptly informed the vigilantes in Dobeli and nearby Tella villages who mobilised themselves and went into the bush to confront the strangers. Our correspondent learnt that on getting to the bush, the vigilantes, who were armed with assorted weapons, tried to round up the kidnapped suspects. However, it was learnt that during the scuffle the vigilantes were able to apprehend four of the kidnapped suspects while others fled into the bush. It was gathered that upon interrogation the four suspects, three who were indigenes of Dobeli and one from nearby Isoll village, were said to have c...

Governor Darius Dickson Ishaku says Taraba State is lucky with the low record of the dreaded Coronavirus ravaging the global community. The Governor stated this during inspection of the one hundred bed space at the NYSC isolation center at Jauro Yinu. He said at the moment all positive Covid-19 patients have been declared negative except for the eighty eight Almajiris whose results are still expected emphasizing that efforts are on ground to trace their parents. Governor Ishaku decried the lack of ventilators and other testing kits to ascertain the true numbers of infected persons and assured Tarabans of his commitment to establish three testing centers for robust testing. The Governor frowned at the manner people are still finding their way to the state despite the lockdown and charged security operatives to discharge their duties diligently in all border communities of the state. He expressed happiness that more people are now sensitised on reasons behind the lock down...

Jole Community Development Association in Lau local government area of Taraba state has called on the state government to set up a judicial commission of inquiry to investigate the circumstances surrounding the continuing crisis between Jole and Shomo.  The chairman of the community, Mr.Luka Audu, told North East Trust that it was necessary because of persistent crises between the two ethnic groups.  He said the recent clash between Shomo and Jole  claimed  about 25 lives and property worth millions of Naira were destroyed. He said setting up of a panel to investigate the crises was one the best ways of finding a lasting solution to the rivalries between the two ethnic groups. He said previous committees set up by various governments in the past failed to yield any result, thereby allowing the hostilities between the ethnic groups to continue. Audu said it was unfortunate that the Shomoh people had continued to contest the ownership of the Marmi ...

The power minister, Sale Mamman, said N47 billion was approved for the provision of additional 40 megawatts of electricity to the national grid. Nigeria’s electricity generation capacity is about 12,500 MW — of which 12.5 per cent is hydropower and 87.5 per cent thermal — but only between 3,500 MW to 5,000 MW is distributed. Mr Mamman said the planned 40 megawatts would be evacuated from “Kashimbilla Dam (in Taraba State) via Takum, Wukari and Yandev, to the national grid.” This evacuation, he explained, was necessary to save Nigeria about 120 gigawatts of power, equivalent to $9 million in a year. He added that the move was targeted at boosting power supply in Taraba and Benue states as well as the entire north-eastern region of the country. PREMIUM TIMES 

The Taraba House of Assembly has appropriated 6.5 million USD (about N2.3 billion), which was granted Taraba alongside other selected states by Transparency International for prudent management of resources. The Chairman, House Committee on Information, Alhaji Bashir Mohammed, made this known to newsmen on Tuesday in Jalingo. He said the amount, which was not part of the 2020 budget estimates would be utilised by the Taraba Government in the execution of some people-oriented projects and programmes. The chairman also disclosed that the emergency session of the assembly has given approval to Governor Darius Ishaku’s request to access a N2.5 billion loan from Access Bank Plc as part of measures to fight the spread of COVID-19 in the state. Mohammed (APC-Nguroje Constituency) said the assembly had deliberated and approved the governor’s executive request at an emergency sitting on 11/5/2020. Mohammed, who is also the Minority Leader of the house, explained that the loan wo...

Representative of the Jukuns, Commissioner of Information and Reorientation Hon. Danjuma Adamu. Stakeholders of Jukun and Tivs have reached a truce to end the lingering crisis bedevilling both communities in the Southern part of the state. This form part of the fourteen point communiqué signed by Governor Darius Dickson Ishaku who was represented by his Deputy Haruna Manu, Representative of the Jukuns Danjuma Adamu and that of the Tivs Jimme Yongu at a stakeholders meeting held at the Government House Jalingo. Presenting the Communiqué, State Deputy Governor Haruna Manu called for an end of all forms of hostilities in Southern Taraba maintaining that all defaulters will be dealt with decisively by the government. The stakeholders called on the State Government to deploy more security to Donga Local Government Area to end hostilities in all affected areas in the southern zone. They urged the state Government to mandate the thirty man TIV and Jukun Committee to continu...

There was tension on Monday in Tella village, Gassol Council of Taraba State, as irate youths disrupted the proceedings of a coronavirus disease (COVID-19) mobile court in the area. The court was established to try motorists who flout the lockdown order in the state.Apparently not comfortable with the court’s presence, the youths beat and chased away the three judges. Claiming that the court was blocking their daily source of livelihood, as they had been forced to stay indoors without food and other daily needs. Not giving a choice, judges and the security personnel attached to the court took to their heels. While the judges were said to have escaped into a nearby sugarcane farm, the policemen and civil defense corps attached to the court also ran for dear lives. A witness told The Guardian that the youths suddenly appeared and started beating the judges, destroying proceedings papers and other documents before chasing away the judges and other officials. Though security ...

Taraba state Government has announced the discharge of 6 out of 17 CORONAVIRUS patients in the state. This good news was announced by the state Governor, Arch. Darius Dickson Ishaku via his social media accounts. READ  It's true that over the weeks we have been faced with a common enemy, the coronovirus pandemic - Covid-19. Despite the challenges we are faced with, especially in areas of delayed testing, we have remained focus to ensuring we do the needful to making sure all Tarabans are protected from this pandemic and are safe. It's good news that against all odds, we have made notable progress, and as a result six(6) people amongst those confirmed positive fews weeks back, were treated and have tested negative twice thereafter. They were discharged today to reconnect with their family. Others are still receiving treatments. I recall today the words of Martin Luther King: “Human progress is neither automatic nor inevitable. Every step toward the goals requ...

The lingering Taraba communal skirmishes unabated in times immemorial resulting into massive destruction of lives and property in quantum of large proportion with solutions in sight ought to be condemned by all peace loving citizen's of the state, and the country at- large. It is pathetic to note since its creations in the last twenty eight years back Taraba state has witnessed a catastrophic  upheavals in different dimension ranging from communal disturbances, land and boundary adjustment issues, tribal and religious ambiguities, among others all with solutions in sight's due to lack of good governance, effective community leaders, greed, selfishness, and corruption. For example it was disturbing to allow the residents of the southern part of the state to lived in fear of unusual death, barbaric attacks in the wake of Jukun / TIV's clashes all the times without government taking positive steps in restoring peace and harmony amongst the warring parties in quelling up...

Death tolls in the ongoing multi-ethnic crises in southern Taraba have continued to rise. Four persons were reportedly killed and three communities razed in a fresh orgy of violence between Kuteb and Chamba people in Takum local government area of the state on Monday. Kuteb, Chamba and Ichen are among the minority tribes that make up Jukun -which means people or a conglomerate of ethnic groups. The Tiv however, are not part of Jukun, despite their co-existence and intermarriages with the Jukun for centuries. The  Chamba/Kuteb crisis followed a disagreement between the two closely tied ethnic groups over land ownership in Jenuwa Kogi, Byeri and Fete communities. Witnesses said the problem, a communal issue, got out of hand when more people from both tribes joined in the quarrel. “Soon, the quarrel resulted into physical combat. The fight turned bloody as many people joined in. Some persons were shot and killed with riffles, others wounded. Several homes were razed,” ...