Tension is brewing in the Wukari Local Government Area of Taraba State following reports that the chief of Rafin-Kada, Hakimi Danasebe Tazim, has allegedly ordered youths to destroy some houses belonging to internally displaced persons.
A community leader, Mr Christopher Adyem, told journalists that some of the residents were on the site rebuilding their houses when suddenly four young men emerged from the car of Tazim and walked to where they were working.
Adyem said after raining insults on them and threatening their lives, the young men pulled down the buildings and warned them to stay away from the area.
He stated, “We were expecting that the chief would stop the boys from such a barbaric act, but to our greatest surprise, he came down from the vehicle and asked us to pack our belongings and go back to Benue State.
“We have reported the matter to security agencies and they have promised to look into the matter.
“This is the second time our houses are being destroyed apart from the attack on our community, which resulted in four persons being killed.
“We are beginning to see that there is a ploy by the Jukun to take over our ancestral homes and land; otherwise, Governor Darius Ishaku has given a directive that people, who fled during the crisis, should return to their homes and we should not be continuously threatened.”
Reacting in a telephone interview, Tazim denied the allegations against him.
He said the Tiv in the area decided to go against the protocol put in place to resettle displaced persons in the area and resettled themselves in Tor-Iorshagher without his notice, and urged them to spare him and the Jukun from their problems.
While describing the Jukun as the most peaceful people, the chief called on the Tiv to follow Ishaku’s resettlement committee’s protocol in order to resettle peacefully.
Copyright PUNCH.
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