Four killed, Scores Injured as Herdsmen Attack Farmers in Taraba

No fewer than four people are feared dead in yet another clash between armed Fulani herdsmen and Tiv farmers in Gassol Local Government Area of Taraba State.

An eyewitness, Mr. Terkimbi Tahav who said he escaped death by the whiskers told our correspondent on the phone that they were on the farm at Dinya village in Gassol  when nine armed Fulani men riding on three motorcycles invaded the site and forced them out of the farm.

“One of them told us that the land we were farming on was sold to them by the Village Head of Kwararafa (Dekechin Kwararafa), Alh. Ibrahim Isah.

“We were shocked and tried to resist their attempt to chase us out of our farm,  but they started attacking us with cutlasses so we had to run for our dear lives.

“It was when we were running to safety that we found four of our relations lying dead on their farm. They  had killed them earlier before proceeding to attack us.

“It’s only by the help of God that some of us are alive to tell our story,” he narrated.

A youth leader in the area, Mr. Titus Gowon told journalists that the attackers killed four Tiv people on their farm along Dogon Ruwa road while many others sustained bullets and matchet wounds.

He lamented the failure of the police to intervene quickly in the situation stressing that as the reason why many had been affected in the attack.

“The Divisional Police Officer in charge of Gassol has come around,  but he refused to go to the scene of the attack on the account that there was no fuel in their vehicles,” he said.

The village head of Kwararafa, Alh. Ibrahim Isah denied the allegations of selling out land belonging to Tiv people in the area.

He however,  said he was aware of the misunderstanding between Fulani and some Tiv farmers in the area.

Chairman of Gassol, Hon. Yahuza Yaya’u confirmed the incident to our correspondent in a telephone interview.

“We are working hard to resolve the situation. As we speak,  I am in a security meeting over the issue you can call me later for details on the attack,” he said.