20 killed, houses razed over leadership tussle in Taraba

Forum 11 months ago

20 killed, houses razed over leadership tussle in Taraba

No fewer than 20 locals were killed and houses razed over a leadership tussle that erupted in Karim Lamido Local Government Area of Taraba State.

The Wurkum and the Karimjo tribes in the local government took up arms against each other over disagreement on the appointment of a traditional ruler in the area.

Meawhile, the authorities, according to reports, have commenced moves to quell the crisis, even as the warring tribes had presented their demands and grievances.

According to a report by the BBC Hausa Service monitored on Monday, crisis erupted after Alhaji Abubakar Haruna was presented with a staff of office, when he succeeded his father who ruled over the Wurkum for 47 years.

Wilfred Kwamchi, leader of the Wurkum people worldwide, told journalists that although the crisis started since Friday night, there was a semblance of peace now in the headquarters of the local government.

He, however, lamented that in villages where the Wurkum people lived, there were destructions as people’s homes were being razed and some children killed.

He said: “Many houses belonging to our people were burnt down and their foodstuffs taken away.

“We cannot say the exact number of people killed, but many lives were lost; about 20,” he alleged.

He said the government had mobilised soldiers and mobile police operatives to area.

“We don’t know what caused this crisis. This is because we have a royal father in the area known as Wurkum District.

“When he died, his son was coronated last Thursday. When he was presented with a staff of office, our neighbours, Karimjo, started burning tyres inside Karim Lamido town. We don’t know why.”

Asked whether the Karimjo people were protesting the appointment of the new ruler, he said: “I don’t know why they would be protesting because that royal stool was never open for competition with any other tribe in Karim Lamido town.

“The domain is for the Wurkum people. We are appealing to the government; we want to live in peace with everybody.”

We’re marginalised — Karimjo

However, Kennedy James who is the Karimjo youth leader worldwide, said they did not attack the Wurkum people and they’ve never fought them.

“When the new leader was coronated and came to the town, some of our youths and our leaders went and felicitated him.

“Afterwards, crisis erupted and we lost about 10 of our youths. Security operatives and hunters shot our youths,” he alleged.

When reminded that it was their people who first organised a protest, he said the reason was that their people wanted to show their grievances on alleged injustices meted on them.

“For three consecutive times, leaders were installed but we were not involved. We were thinking our people have been marginalised.

“We are in the proposal and were gazetted to be part of the leadership since during the defunct Gongola State.

“This time around we thought they would install one amongst us; we are not Wurkum, we are agitating for Karim Chiefdom.

“We have always been peace loving, we’ve now stopped our youths from doing anything. We would leave everything to the Almighty.

“If they look for us, we would sit down for reconciliation,” he said.

The Police in Taraba State were yet to react to the incident .