FOLLOWING a report of an attack in Yongogba village in Takum Local Government Area of Taraba, the State’s Police Command say there was no fresh attack in the state.
The State Police Public Relations Officer, David Misal, a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) confirmed this in a phone conversation with The ICIR on Wednesday.
“This reports of the attack, I do believe is not under our areas of coverage. It could be probably somewhere else, and is being mistaken to be in Taraba exactly,” he said.
The police spokesperson noted was no case of attack reported to the police. He said: “If it exists, probably it was not reported to the police”.
A media report earlier on Wednesday said gunmen suspected to be Jukun militia had attacked and killed two people in Yongogba village in Takum Local Government Area of Taraba.
The report said the village was invaded by attackers, who rode on motorcycles and two Toyota Hilux about at 8:45 am on Wednesday, with scores of individuals missing.
It said the attackers, “burnt the entire village and looted valuable property”.
Misal who was earlier contacted by The ICIR said no such news was reported, but requested additional time to confirm the report.
Afterward, he said despite inquiries from the various divisions in the state, no records of the clash between any group was mentioned to the police.
“Straightly after I had a call with you, I contacted my divisional officer who is on the ground; he confirmed to me that such a report has not reached him yet,” Misal said.
“Because the report stated that we have no record of any fresh attack between any groups. We don’t have such a report.”
Misal said, “But I wonder, if there is an issue then the police should be the first point of contact, so obviously nobody reported and we don’t have such report at the moment”.
The state has come under series of attacks, owing to the communal clash between the Jukun of Taraba and Tiv of Benue State.
The Tiv and Jukun have a long history of a communal clash, alleged to have resulted from the fear of domination; land resources and ownership; unequal representation in political positions.
Although President Muhammadu Buhari has promised to end this prolonged clash between both tribes, claiming lives and displacing many, leaders of both communities say, they are being marginalized as minorities in both states.