15 killed in dawn attack in Taraba

The Taraba Police Command has confirmed the
burial of four persons on Saturday in Jalingo
following a dawn attack by an armed militia on
three Fulani communities in Lau Local
Government Area of the state.
But a resident of one of the affected communities
said 15 people were buried at Jalingo cemetery.
The Police Public Relations Officer in the state,
ASP David Misal, said those that carried out the
attacks were yet be identified, adding that no
arrest has been made.
The spokesman called for calm and assured
residents that security agencies were
investigating the incident with a view to arresting
and prosecuting the culprits.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) gathered that
the attack was launched at about 6 a.m on Jan.
6.
The villages attacked by the suspected militia
were Babagasa, Donadda and Katibu, which
shared common boundary with Adamawa.
A resident of Katibu, Mallam Bello Isa, who
narrowly escaped the attack, told NAN that many
people in his village were killed and houses set
ablaze.
Isa explained that so far bodies of 15 persons
killed in the attacks were recovered and buried at
about 10 a.m at the Jalingo Cemetery.
He said many people including women and
children were still missing, adding that security
agents are yet to be ddeployed to the area.
“The armed militia whom we identified as
Bachama and Nyandang, came to our village at
about 6 a.m today and said their cows were
stolen, and before we could reply them, they
started shooting and setting our houses ablaze.
“We are residents of the area and have no any
misunderstanding with our neighbours who are
Nyandang but we are Fulani by tribe but not
herders, yet we came under attacks for no
offence,” Isa said.
A resident of Donada village, Malam Kallamu
Mohammed, who also escaped with gun shots,
said they were surrounded by the militia whom
they also suspected to be Bachama and
Nyandang, early Saturday morning.
According to him, the militia who were well armed
stormed the area on motor cycles and started
shooting and setting their houses ablaze while
others looted their properties.