Why Taraba killings must be probed, culprits prosecuted

 What happened on the Mambilla Plateau in Sardauna Local Government Area of Taraba State is no longer news, despite the disinterest shown by most of the media. It is unfortunate that in this age people can comfortably kill children, women and animals, and even brag about it. Senator Yusuf Yusuf (Taraba central) said over 5,000 […]

 What happened on the Mambilla Plateau in Sardauna Local Government Area of Taraba State is no longer news, despite the disinterest shown by most of the media.

It is unfortunate that in this age people can comfortably kill children, women and animals, and even brag about it.

Senator Yusuf Yusuf (Taraba central) said over 5,000 homes were burnt while property worth millions of naira were looted or destroyed. About 200 Fulani – men, women and children – were reportedly killed, in addition to the many others injured. Governor Darius Ishaku said the casualty figures were exaggerated, but added that the perpetrators will be fished out and punished accordingly.

Slowly but surely, the truth has started coming out. The General Officer Commanding (GOC), 3 Division of the Nigerian Army, Brig-Gen. Benjamin Ahanotu who visited the affected communities told of the horrifying scenes of carnage and destruction which he personally saw.

He said during a visit to the Chief of Mambilla Shehu Baju in Gembu that “From my findings yesterday, I realised that there’s too much hatred, too much damage done to the Fulanis. The only Fulanis who are barely surviving today, are the ones that ran away, who managed to escape and the ones that dwell within the main cities. It just tells you the aim, the plan by the perpetrators to eliminate or totally wipe out these people. Because even small children, two-year-old children were slaughtered, pregnant women killed. This is worse than Boko Haram; Boko Haram will not touch women, they won’t touch children. But here they were slaughtering children, slaughtering pregnant women and women. It doesn’t make any sense to anybody. It is like genocide within the Mambilla.”

The GOC repeated the same words at the Taraba State Government House in Jalingo. He went further to accuse leaders in Gembu of lying because of hatred for their neighbours.

He urged the governor to apply for the extension of military personnel in the affected communities to avoid retaliation.

All the relevant authorities must act decisively to stop people from taking the laws into their hands.

Bello Abubakar Gassol, Abuja.