Protesters Kill Six in Taraba

The Nigeria Police

Wole Ayodele in Jalingo

Six people have been killed at Bela village, Bornon Kurku area of Bali local government in Taraba state by youths protesting the killing of two people during a robbery incident by unknown gunmen. They were reportedly killed during the past week.

The protesting youths, according to THISDAY investigations, went after the victims on the suspicion that they or their kinsmen were masterminds of a robbery incident along Chediya/Borno Kurku road on the fateful day which claimed two lives.

The robbery attack was suspected to have been carried out by members of the Tiv community in the area prompting the protesting youths to unleash mayhem on the victims using guns, cutlasses and other dangerous weapons.

The deadly protests, THISDAY gathered, was ignited when the corpses of the two people killed during the robbery incident were brought to Bela and obviously infuriated by the sights of the corpses, the youths descended on the Tiv people who were part of the crowd that gathered to see the slain men.

An eyewitness, who escaped being killed during the mayhem by whiskers, Zasha Terpase told journalists that the protesting youths were led by the son of the district head of Bela, Maiaungwa Iliyasu whom he alleged personally shot three of the victims.

According to Terpase “On seeing the corpses, he went into his room and came out with a gun and shouting Allah Akbar Allah Akbar, shot and killed three people instantly. We all ran for safety but they pursued and killed three others.

“I escaped by the whiskers, because we all came to see the corpses and suddenly we the Tiv people became targets. It’s unfortunate that anything bad that happens, they usually blame it on us”, he added.

Lamenting the attack, Terpase, who described the Tiv people in the area as peace loving, noted that they recently returned to the village following their displacement by Fulani herdsmen last year and were just managing to survive, insisting that no Tiv man in the area would want to go and cause trouble.

THISDAY investigations further revealed that the corpses of the victims were butchered by the irate youths and dumped in a nearby pond while many of the youths were said to have fled the village to avoid being arrested by security agents.

The State Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) Joseph Kwaji confirmed the killing of the two Fulanis during the robbery incident saying investigations are ongoing to bring the perpetrators to book. He however stated that he was yet to receive the report on the protest that led to the killing of the six Tiv people and therefore could not comment on it.