A police officer
More than 50 People were reportely killed in fresh attacks on
Monday night in several border communities in Adamawa and Taraba states,
according to a report by Punch.
It was gathered that the attacks were reportedly carried out by
Fulani militiamen targeting farming communities around Gojefa, Bujum
Yashi, Bujum Waya, Sabonlayi and Bujum Kasuwa villages in the Numan
Local Government Area of Adamawa State.
Other communities affected by the onslaught include Anguwan Bishop
Yotti, Todung, Budon, Bunzum and Bamga Dutse located in Taraba State.
The sustained attacks in recent times, according to the Hama Batta,
Alhamdu Teneke, the traditional ruler of Demsa chiefdom, have resulted
in most communities in the area abandoning farming. He said this
development might lead to famine soon.
Confirming the recent attacks, the member representing Numan in the
Adamawa State House of Assembly, Sodomti Tayedi, said more than 50
people were feared killed in the wave of the recent attacks.
She also pointed out that no week passed in her community without an attack carried out by suspected Fulani militia.
Tayedi said, “Our people are farmers but my community is now
living in fear since these attacks started in November last year and
have persisted up till date.
“We are hopeless and helpless; economic activities here have
stopped. This is a farming season and if we cannot go to the farm, then
poverty and starvation are what is left.
“We are calling on the government, as a matter of urgency, to
come and secure our people and constituency since no one is allowed to
take up arms, then it is the responsibility of the government to protect
people.”
One of the survivors, Galilee Ishaku, a resident of Sabon Layi, said, “Those who attacked us were Fulani and they came when we were in the market because it was market day.
“They suddenly entered our village and started shooting. We ran
and cross over the river but they followed us and kept on shooting.
“Right now as I am talking, they are in our village, grazing on our farms.
“The people that I know were killed were more than 30 people but many of our villagers are still unaccounted for.”
Another resident, Dong Jonah, said the attacks usually followed
rumours of an impending attack, adding that despite the early warnings
to security agencies, measures were hardly taken to forestall the
attacks.
However, the Adamawa State Government, on Tuesday through the state
Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Ahmad Sajoh, condemned the
attacks on Numan and Demsa communities.
He also expressed the government’s concern about the displacement
caused by the attacks while assuring the residents that the state
government was working to restore peace to the troubled area.
The Monday night attack was the fourth in two weeks with the
residents claiming that over 100 people might have been killed. 21
persons were killed in attacks on Demsa and Numan villages.