Taraba Facts

Bely 24 hours to the Taraba State Local Government election slated for June 30, gunmen suspected to be Jukun militias attacked Afogba village in the Donga Local Government Area of the state. Residents said one person was feared killed while three others were injured in the attack which occurred in the early hours of Monday. A resident, Mr Livinus Akaa, told our correspondent on the telephone that the gunmen invaded the community at dawn and opened fire. “They came from the Tunari area and invaded our community. Fortunately, we got wind of their coming and many people fled. “The person killed ran into them because it was still dark. Three others sustained injuries and were taken to hospital,” Akaa said. But the Taraba State Command Police Public Relations Officer, ASP David Misal, said he had yet to get the report when our correspondent called. Meanwhile, Governor Darius Ishaku in a press statement has approved Monday 29, Tuesday June 30 and Wednesday, July 1, 2020, as pub...

PRESS RELEASE Suspects TWO (2) SUSPECTS ARRESTED FOR THE KIDNAP AND KILLING OF DR. AUDU BENEDICT, SON AND ASSOCIATE - 25 other criminal suspects for various heinous crimes; 6 AK47 rifles, cache of live ammunition and other incriminating items recovered. ​ Police Operatives of the Intelligence Response Team have arrested two (2) suspects for the kidnap of a Medical Doctor, Audu Benedict, his son and one of his associates in Katsina-ala LGA, Benue State while travelling from Taraba State to Abuja on 10th March, 2019. The suspects, Henry Terkula Gwa ‘m’ 25yrs from Donga LGA of Benue State and Terhile Tsavbe, ‘m’ 30yrs from Gawa village, Katsina-ala LGA of Benue State were arrested on the 6th and 11th June, 2020 following intense search for the victims and manhunt for the perpetrators by the Police team. Investigations revealed that the criminal gang collected 7.5million naira as ransom from the families of the victims as condition for their release. The suspects forced the...

The trial of Taraba kidnap kingpin, Bala Hamisu, also known as Wadume, on Monday, began at the Federal High Court, Abuja, before Justice Binta Nyako. The News Agency of Nigeria reports that Wadume, alongside six other defenants, was, on June 8, arraigned on 13 counts bordering on terrorism. The other defendants are: Insp. Aliyu Dadje, Auwalu Bala, Uba Bala, Bashir Waziri, Zubairu Abdullahi and Rayyanu Abdul. NAN recalls that the Attorney-General of the Federation, AGF, and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, took over the matter from the police on June 3. Although 10 soldiers were initially slated in the charges, their names were later removed in the case. At the commencement of the trial, an Assistant Superintendent of Police, Felix Adolije, told the court how he and his team members were attacked by the soldiers after the arrest of Wadume on August 6, 2019. NAN recalls that the 10 soldiers attached to the 93 Battalion in Takum in Taraba were alleged to have helped...

Taraba State  government has declared Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday as public holidays to ensure residents of the state participate fully in the exercise. This was contained in a statement issued in the early hours of today by Chief Press Secretary to Governor Darius Ishaku, Hassan Mijinyawa. According to the statement, “the work free days are from Monday, 29 June 2020 to Wednesday, 1st of July, 2020. “This is to enable civil servants in the state to travel to their respective wards and vote during the forthcoming local government elections. “The governor also urged people of the state to be orderly, law abiding and conduct themselves peacefully while discharging their civic responsibilities.” Meanwhile, 17 political parties will be participating fully in the June 30 LG Polls. This is with the exception of the state’s leading opposition party, All Progressive Congress, APC, who have decided to boycott the exercise. A coalition of Civil Society Organisat...

For fear of being suspected to have contracted Coronavirus, malaria patients, especially those living in rural areas of Taraba State, have stopped accessing health facilities.  Also, the inability of relevant authorities to equip health workers, who have not come in contact with COVID-19 cases, with adequate Personal Protection Equipment (PPEs), have had negative effect on malaria intervention. The leadership of the Civil Society in Malaria Control, Immunisation and Nutrition (ACCOMIN), yesterday, made the observations during the state media briefing on Global Fund Malaria Accountable and Advocacy Project, which took place in Jalingo. Led by its Programme Manager,  Gofwen Wubunna Ishaku,  the group advocated adequate supplies of PPEs to health workers, training and retraining, as this would change the mindset of the staff towards malaria patients willing to access health facilities.  He urged government, at all levels, to interve...

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) says it has arrested 196 suspects for drug-related offences in Taraba State. The state commander of the NDLEA, Suleiman Jadi, disclosed this on Friday at an event to mark this year’s International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking in Jalingo, the Taraba State capital. He explained that officials of the agency made the arrests between July 2019 and March 2020, noting that 39 of them have been convicted. Jadi revealed that the suspects were arrested with about 883.76kilograms of Cannabis Sativa and psychotropic substances in different parts of the state. He added that the command has successfully counselled 53 persons through its anti-drug abuse awareness and enlightenment campaigns and programmes. According to the NDLEA state commander, Taraba is witnessing an increase in drug abuse since the advent of coronavirus (COVID-19) in the state, which is negatively affecting their daily operations. He decried that t...

Governor Darius Dickson Ishaku has approve the appointment of Prince Sanvala Varzoa Shimbura as the new Gara Donga. A Statement by the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor Hassan Mijinyawa  says the new Gara was selected after a careful selection process by the king makers of Donga traditional Council and ratified by the State Council of Chiefs in line with laid down procedure on the appointment of Chiefs and Emirs.

Press Statement  Candidates of the All Progressive Grand Alliance APGA and the Action Alliance AA for the Tuesday June 30 local government election in Taraba State said they are ready to participate victoriously in the exercise. The candidates spoke at an event  organized by the Eyes on Democracy Nigeria EDON Taraba State Chapter and all Civil Society Situation Room Taraba State ahead of the forthcoming local government election in Jalingo. APGA Chairmanship Candidate in Jalingo Local Government, Hon Benjamin Biko who spoke on behalf of his party said he's participating in the election because of he's confident of winning the poll. "Me and my supporters are confident of victory, Jalingo people are already to vote for APGA on Saturday," Benjamin Biko said. Also a councilorship for Sintali Ward in Jalingo Local Government under the Action Alliance AA, Bashir Bello said his plans is to represent his people at the local government and attract govern...

Taraba State Commission of Inquiry into incessant upheaval between the Jole and Shomo communities in Lau Council has promised to come up with favourable report to both communities. Like the Tiv and the Jukun, who have been engaged in warfare over lands, Jole and Shomo have been on each other’s neck over a fish pond and chieftaincy stool. The recent unrest between the two communities, which led to wanton destruction of lives and properties, as observed by The Guardian, compelled the state government to set up a panel to ascertain the cause of the crisis and proffer lasting solution. The commission, which yesterday commenced sitting in Jalingo, vowed not to take sides with any of the groups, but to work assiduously to come out with recommendations that would eventually compel the people to bury the hatchet and embrace peace. Chairman of the commission, Justice Silas Haruna, said the expectation of the state government was for the commission to fashion out plans that would le...

A joint security meeting between Adamawa and Taraba states which was at the instance of the National Security Adviser on the need for the two states to checkmate cross border insecurity was held in the Government House, Yola. This was reported by the SSA New Media to the Executive Governor of Adamawa state, Muhammad Bakari Tukur. The new media aide reported that Governor Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri said the dreaded farmer-herder clash has caused a lot of havoc in communities on border land resulting to colossal destruction of lives and property in Numan local government of the state. That the Governor explained that the continued clash is affecting the fate of farmers and herders in Adamawa thereby depriving them their means of livelihood, and low agricultural yield which will cause food insecurity in the two states. The new media aide added that according to Governor Fintiri, the Adamawa state government has tried to broker peace between farmers and herders in the state but ...

With institutions of learning affected by the coronavirus all over the world, the wife of Taraba State Governor Barr. Anna Darius Ishaku has sponsored the design of an e-learning portal to keep the door of learning open in the state. The governor’s wife gave the website to the commissioner for Basic and Secondary Education Hon. Johannes Jigen as her contribution to education in response to Covid-19 and said they should ensure they sustain the project. According to her, the website is rich with education contents, a robust interface for interaction with students, feedback on questions by students etc. Learners can access the website through e-learning.linkedvoices.com.ng using android phone, laptop and desktop computer. The occasion was witnessed by commissioners and stakeholders in the education sector.

OFFICIAL STATEMENT: Read The Executive Governor of Taraba State, His Excellency Arc Darius Dickson Ishaku has approved a further review of the COVID-19 lockdown in the state. This was contained in a press release signed by the Special Adviser to the Governor on Media and Publicity, Bala Dan Abu. The release states that the review is to facilitate movements as the state prepares for Local Government Council elections scheduled for June 30, 2020. It states that under the present review, Tuesday (June 23rd) to Monday (July 6th), 2020 is now  free from restriction of movements. It states that the government has, however, advised the people not to forget to observe all the already well publicised measures against the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic. That the government also reminded the general public that the state’s borders with its neighbours remain closed until further notice and security agencies are under instruction to enforce the closure strictly.

Outbreak of epidemics is imminent in the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camps in Taraba State due to alleged failure of government to attend to the plight of the IDPs taking refuge in public places in Gassol Council. Some of the over 13,000 persons displaced from their homes in Donga and Bali councils following the clash between the Tiv and Jukun ethnic groups are taking refuge in St. John’s College in Mutum-Biyu and Sabin-Gida. They are reportedly exposed to various forms of ailments and communicable diseases. At the time of filing this report, a good number of displaced women were seen with babies suspected to have been born in the camps. Our correspondent, who recently visited one of the camps, observed that despite the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), the displaced persons were jam-packed in the same place, a situation which made wearing of face masks or observation of d social distancing a mirage. The displaced persons, including Chekele Emmanuel (camp leader) and...

INTERVIEW My husband told me on the phone to take care of the children before being killed — Mtsor, wife of Tiv man killed by suspected Junkun bandits PublishedJune 21, 2020 A widow, Lucy Mtsor, tells JUSTIN TYOPUUSU how her husband, Nicholas, was killed by suspected Junkun militia at Byepi in the Wukari Local Government Area of Taraba State a year ago How was your husband killed? I wasn’t with him when he was removed from the vehicle and killed, but one of the occupants of the vehicle who was with my husband, Mr. Ezekiel Ajai, told us that he was kidnapped by Junkun militia. My husband and Ajai were among the 11 people that boarded a vehicle from Zaki/Biam in Benue State to Jalingo, in Taraba State. READ this Tiv militia killed three of my children on the farm — Salome, Taraba woman According to Ajai, who was the only passenger in the vehicle that was not Tiv, the militia abducted all of them in the vehicle, including the driver. They took them to a forest, killed al...

Mother of the victims Salome Solomon from Tsokondi in the Wukari Local Government Area of Taraba State recently lost three children in a day when gunmen suspected to be Tiv militia killed them on the farm.  She tells JUSTIN TYOPUUSU about it You lost three children this month, how were they killed? I really don’t want to talk about the death of my children because it reminds me of that tragic moment. It happened on a Saturday – June 13, 2020. My children were on the farm when gunmen suspected to be Tiv militia attacked and killed them there. ANOTHET STORY: READ My husband told me on the phone to take care of the children before being killed — Mtsor, wife of Tiv man killed by suspected Junkun bandits How did you get to know about it? They went to weed our Egusi farm and they did not return home at the time I thought they would get back. After cooking, I sent for them; that was when we discovered they had been killed on the farm. All of them had tall dreams but t...

The Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development has announced the commencement of enrolment for a new batch of N-Power beneficiaries effective July 26, 2020. FULL DETAILS https://fmic.gov.ng/n-power-batch-c-enrolment-commences-june-26-2020/

We were visited with Mayhem Yesterday at our Cattle Ranch in Kakara, The first of it Kind in Kamkam Land. Worthy to note is, this cattle ranch is continuesly existing for over 70 years and we never had a case with our Farmers neighbours this can be attested to by everyone in Kakara, Why they choose to attack us is what I cant not comprehend. This, will be a test to People of Kakara in General, and the Traditional Council in Particular how this issue is handled will define us as a people and as a community. Nobody regardless of their motives should be allowed  to destroy the peaceful coexistence of our people. We call on the Police, the Kamkam Chiefdom and every Peace Loving person to not only condemn this barbaric act but to also ensure Justice is served. This barbaric, inhumane and criminality have no Place amongst us. Bashir Bello Kakara.

Governor Darius Ishaku has asked a Catholic Community in Taraba State to desist from ‘inciting people against his government’.  According to the governor’s statement late on Thursday, a Catholic community under the aegis of National Catholic Diocesan Priests Association, Jalingo Diocesan chapter is criticizing the Taraba State governor for not doing much to nip in the bud the crisis between the Tivs and Jukuns in the state. At a press briefing held in Jalingo, the Catholic Church is said to told newsmen that armed banditry, rape, unwary destruction of lives, and property, has become the new normal for the people of Taraba. The Catholic church stressed that human lives have become so cheap that it takes no second thought to be wasted, just as they call for a more consolidated approach by the state government in ending the feud. They also sort to know rhetorically if the state government is comfortable with the incessant and continuous crisis in the state. Reacting to ...

Taraba Governor, Arch. Darius Dickson Ishaku has assured the people of the state that he will achieve peace in Taraba State. The Governor gave the assurance when the Tiv peace committee paid him a thank you visit in his office in Jalingo. Ishaku said his administration was doing everything possible to ensure that permanent peace is restored in the state. “I am glad you have come to thank me. The act of appreciation is Biblical and it’s good to commend leaders when they do good. “I will keep telling people to give me peace and I will give them development. “I have done a lot and I have plans for the state but that can only happen when there is peace. Without peace, all the awards I have received will be useless. “I won the water man 2018 and even few weeks ago I had a visual meeting with USAID on how to improve water supply in Taraba. But without peace, we can not achieve anything,” he said. Earlier, Mrs. Bridget Twar thanked the Governor for approving resources for ...

The Taraba state chapter of All Progressives Congress (APC) Wednesday stated that it would not participate in the forthcoming local government election scheduled to take place on June 30 this year. State chairman of the party,  El-Sudi Ibrahim, who stated this in Jalingo while  briefing journalists, lamented that the state chairman of the Independent Electoral Commission, Dr. Philip Dowe is biased, unfair and deceitful in the conduct of the affairs of elections in the state. El-Sudi, who expressed concerns over the shift in the new timetable for the elections said the APC was not formally served with the letter about the change in timetable. He stated that it is unfair and unjust to come with a date when there was no statement to the change of timetable. “They need to draw up a new timetable for adequate preparations and compliance with the Electoral Law. “If TSIEC does not rescind or withdraw its table, we will have no option but to refuse participating in the ...

The National Catholic Diocesan Priests Association, Jalingo Diocese, in Taraba State on Wednesday blamed the Governor Darius Ishaku led administration for the escalation of killings in the State. The Catholic body accused the state government of complacency in ending the crisis and addressing the plights of the people affected. Addressing a press conference in Jalingo, Chairman of the forum, Rev Fr. Ephraim Sani, said the priests were saddened by the continued crisis in the state that has caused the death of many including a priest and the wanton destruction of property. The Church noted that the administration of Darius Ishaku has not done enough to address the killings in the state, noting that human life in Taraba has become so cheap that it takes no second thought before life is wasted. “It is unfortunate that even the rules of engagement in wars are no longer observed. Consequently, innocent children and defenceless women are today targets of murderous acts. “The Tar...