How communal, farmers/herdsmen conflicts in Taraba displaced thousands

The current crisis between the Fulani and Jukun Kona started on May 6, 2019, over a misunderstanding between a Kona youth and a Fulani youth at Yauwai Ward in Abbare Maikinta Village, on the outskirts of Jalingo, the capital of Taraba State. The Fulani and the Kona, mostly Muslims and Christians respectively, had been living […]

The current crisis between the Fulani and Jukun Kona started on May 6, 2019, over a misunderstanding between a Kona youth and a Fulani youth at Yauwai Ward in Abbare Maikinta Village, on the outskirts of Jalingo, the capital of Taraba State.

The Fulani and the Kona, mostly Muslims and Christians respectively, had been living peacefully in the community for many years.

Abbare Village which is in Jalingo Local Government Area is inhabited by three tribes: Jukun Kona, Mumuye and Fulani. They attend the same markets and take part in the same festivities.

The Kona and Mumuye are mainly farmers, while the Fulani combine farming and livestock breeding.

Daily Trust findings reveal that the real cause of the fight between the two young men was not known, but it was gathered that it was the Kona youth who first reported the matter to the Ward Head of Yauwai, Jauro, Francis Chico.

Jauro Chico said, “The Kona youth approached me with blood on his face and told me that he and a Fulani youth had a fight and I advised him to report to the police in Jalingo.”

He further said within seconds some Fulani came and surrounded the Kona people and demanded for the Kona youth that fought the Fulani youth and threatened to burn down their houses.

He said he pleaded with the Fulani that the issue should be handled with care, but that the Fulani refused and insisted that they must burn down the Kona settlement.

He added that a resident, Alhaji Yuguda, a Fulani, pleaded with his people not to burn or attack anybody.

Jauro Chico further explained that the Fulani, mostly youths, came in their numbers and started burning houses and chased everyone out of the village.

He said he narrowly escaped and ran to Jalingo where he was still taking refuge.

A Fulani elder, Mallam Musa Abbare, said it was true that there was a fight between a Fulani youth and a Kona youth, but that it was Kona youths that attacked and killed another Fulani boy who was herding his cows.

He alleged that the Kona, after killing the Fulani boy, also killed 50 cows belonging to the Fulani community in the village.

Alhaji Musa explained that apart from that, there were series of attacks on Fulani and their cows carried out by Kona youths in the bush and along the roads.

The Secretary of the Tabital Pulako Association, Taraba State branch, Mallam Bello Mbela, said the recent crisis was caused by Kona youths who had been rustling cows and killings owners of the cows.

Mallam Mbela further alleged that seven Fulani were attacked and killed and their cows rustled at different locations by Kona youths in the last few weeks, adding that Kona youths from Nukkai, ATC and Kasuwan Bera had formed the habit of rustling cows and killing their herders in the area.

According to him, what happened on the evening of Sunday, June 16, 2019, was that some Kona youths rustled 300 cows and killed the person leading the cows and that, that prompted owners of the cows to trace where the cows were kept which led to an encounter between the Fulani and the Kona youths, but that at the end the Fulani succeeded in retrieving the stolen cows.

He further said the Fulani did not usually attack people, but that whenever the Fulani attacked other people, it would be discovered that it was them (Fulani) that were attacked first.

He said in most instances when Fulani were attacked or their cows were rustled nobody heard about such and the media never reported such but that it would always be reported when they fought back.

He said on the current crisis, however, Kona youths in their numbers trooped out in protest and blocked the federal highway at Nukkai, ATC and Kasuwan Bera during which many vehicles were burnt down and some people killed.

According to him, some Kona youths went and raised false alarm that Jalingo was on fire thereby leading to a pandemonium in Jalingo.

Reacting on the crisis, the Taraba State Police Command through its spokesman, David Misal, said some bandits on motorcycles attacked Tundiri Village which was predominantly inhabited by the Mumuye and Fulani and burnt down many houses

He said before the police arrived the place the bandits had run into the bush.

He said unfortunately the Kona youths being apprehensive of the development blocked the federal highway at Nukkai, ATC and Kasuwan Bera in Jalingo and attacked innocent people.

He said some vehicles and tricycles were burnt down by the attackers but that the police moved in quickly and removed the barricades and allowed free movement of people and vehicles.

The police, therefore, issued a strong warning that anyone found blocking the highway would be arrested and prosecuted, adding that no death was recorded and that two suspects were arrested.

However, Daily Trust on Sunday gathered that seven vehicles and five tricycles were burnt down while some owners of the burnt vehicles were still missing.

The Kasuwan Bera Market area, mostly inhabited by the Kona ethnic group, has been deserted since the beginning of the crisis and the traders who are afraid of further crisis in the area have also decided to move to a place along new Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) area which they consider safer and more convenient.

Meanwhile, the curfew imposed by the state government in the wake of the crisis has entered is still on and police and soldiers are on patrol, especially in the affected areas, while a number of soldiers and police are also stationed in Nukkai, ATC and Kasuwan Bera.

Daily Trust on Sunday findings further revealed that a peace meeting was held between Kona and Fulani stakeholders and the Chairmen of Jalingo, Ardo-Kola and Lau LGAs at the Jalingo Local Government Secretariat.

The meeting which was also attended by traditional rulers of all the communities in the affected areas was to find a lasting solution to the crisis.

Similarly, the ongoing clashes between Tiv and Jukun in Wukari, Donga and  Takum LGAs of Taraba State has also  forced thousands of people, including women and children, out of their homes.

The conflicts which started two months ago have also claimed several lives and property worth millions of naira. The crises between the Jukun and the Tiv started over a misunderstanding between a Jukun man and a Tiv man at the Kente Market in Wukari and turned into a full scale war between the two ethnic groups who have been rivals for several decades.

Daily Trust on Sunday findings reveal that over 50 people have been killed on both sides and many villages and towns destroyed.

Although series of peace and reconciliation meetings were held in attempt to bring an end to the conflicts, but the war is still on. The two warring factions are mostly farmers.

It was further gathered that Tiv and Jukun militias are now in the bush hunting for each other and that killings are still going on.

The Chairman of Wukari LGA, Mr. Adi Daniel, told our correspondent that the Jukun no longer go to the farm because the Tiv were hunting and killing them.

The President of Tiv Cultural Association in the state, Mr. Goodman Dahida, also claimed that the Jukun were killing the Tiv daily.

Mr. Dahida said about 90 per cent of Tiv in villages around Kente, Ayu, Tor Damisa, Donga and Takum were sacked and forced to relocate to Benue State.