Tribune Online

Group laments alleged military invasion of Taraba community 

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A group, Concerned Taraba Tiv Youth on Thursday lamented the alleged military invasion of Peva community in Takum local government area of Taraba State by the Nigerian Army on Tuesday.

Tribune Online reports that residents of Peva community have earlier on Tuesday alleged that men of the Nigerian Army invaded their community, harassed, beat and broke into people’s houses in the name of looking for the kidnapped Takum local government caretaker chairman, Hon. Boyi Manja, who was abducted by yet-to-be-identified gunmen along Peva-Chanchanji Takum road.

But the Nigerian Army, while responding, denied the allegations, saying that nothing of such nature came from the Army.

Meanwhile, the Concerned Taraba Tiv Youth however lamented the action and called on Governor Darius Ishaku and the Taraba State government as well as the federal government to intervene in the disheartened action of the army in the area.

The group in a press statement issued to journalists in Jalingo and signed by its chairman, Hon. Moses Kugba, also condemned the abduction of the council chairman, sympathize with the family of the slain police officer who was killed in the process and call on security agencies to deploy intelligence and technology to ensure the safe rescue of the victim and bring the perpetrators to book. 

“As you may be aware, our Caretaker Chairman Hon. Boyi Manja was abducted by yet to be identified gunmen and his orderly was killed in the process last Sunday along Peva-Chanchanji Takum road. We condemn this act of criminality and call on security agencies to deploy intelligence and technology to ensure the safe rescue of the victim and bring the perpetrators to book. We also sympathize with the family of the slain police personnel who was killed in the process leading to the kidnap of the Chairman. 

“It is unfortunate that rather than use professionalism through intelligence gathering to get to the root of the matter and safely rescue the kidnap victim, personnel of the Nigerian Army have Tuesday invaded Peva town, harassed, beat and broke into people’s houses in the name of looking for the kidnapped chairman. If the Nigerian Army’s intelligence points to the fact that the kidnapped Chairman is kept in Peva, we expect that the same intelligence should point to the location and possible hideout of the criminals and their victim. 

“Violating people’s rights, harassing them and breaking into people’s homes in the name of searching for the kidnapped chairman is the height of impunity that should be condemned by all well-meaning citizens. 

“We call on Governor Darius Ishaku as the Chief Security Officer of the State as well as the federal government to stop the army personnels from further harassment of the people of Peva in Chanchanji ward and deploy enough security in flash points across the State to check activities of criminal elements in the state. 

“The situation where anytime something happens, Tiv people are the first suspect and without investigation, some people take laws into their hands and start attacking and killing innocent Tiv people, especially in Takum, Wukari, and Donga LGAs is unfortunate and condemnable. 

“It is on record that when the late Hosea Ibi was kidnapped and subsequently killed, some Tiv people were killed in reaction to the incident in Takum town.  But what happened when the truth was unraveled?  

“Just recently, someone was killed on the farm around Kasuan Shanu in Wukari LGA, and in suspicion reprisal attack, an innocent Tiv man was killed around the General Hospital in Wukari. This negative reaction against the Tiv without thorough investigation anytime something happens should be stopped. 

“The public may wish to be reminded that criminality and insecurity has become an endemic problem in Taraba and Nigeria. Just recently, the chief of Mutum Biyu lost several members of his family to kidnappers. The current Head of Service was kidnapped years back right here in the state capital. Many of these instances abound and we can go on and on, but at no time was an ethnic group targeted in a manner we are witnessing in our area. 

“The former Chief Press Secretary to Darius  Dickson Ishaku, Mr.  Hassan Mijinyawa was kidnapped along Bali Gashaka road. While we understand criminality to be a general challenge across the state and Nigeria at large, we wonder why it is given a tribal colouration in southern Taraba. Could this be a case of targeted ethnic profiling?

“We call on our people to remain calm and law-abiding as we are sure that the authorities concerned would do the needful within a few days,” the group lamented.

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