Hundreds of people have continued to flee Taraba villages, following attacks on some communities in the Gassol, Ibi and Wukari local government areas by suspected Fulani herdsmen.

This is coming on the heels of a reported planned attack on the state by Fulani herdsmen as alleged by Governor Darius Ishaku on Wednesday.

Our correspondent gathered that five persons were killed at Amande Jembe village in Bantaje District of the Wukari LGA and four others were killed in Ngutswen village, Gassol LGA, barely nine hours after Ishaku raised the alarm over the planned attacks.

When our correspondent visited the deserted communities in the Gassol and Wukari LGAs, most of the villages were deserted as villagers fled their communities to Sabon Gida, Dan-Anacha and Mutum Biyu in Gassol, and Gidin Doruwa and Wukari in Wukari LGA.

Mr. Simon Tyavwua, a resident who buried four of his relatives in Ngutswen village, said over 2,000 people, mostly Tiv, who were marked for attack, had moved to neighbouring Sabon Gida to take refuge.

“Over 70 major villages housing over 2,000 people from Sabon Gida to Wurojam and Yerima to Gassol have been deserted. Most of these people are now living in internally displaced people’s camps in their land.

“These attacks get worse by the day, despite the alarm (raised) by the governor. There is not a single security personnel here,” he said.

Senior Special Assistant to Mr Ishaku on Public Affairs, Mr. Emmanuel Bello, told our correspondent that it was not clear if the presence of military in the state was a direct response to the governor’s security alert.

“It is good that we are getting a better response from the military. This is a departure from the criminal silence and snobbishness of the past,” Bello said.

Punch