15 killed as Wukari violence festers

Gunmen yesterday killed 15 people and razed over 50 houses in an early morning attack on Nyakwala village of Gidin-Doruwa in Wukari local government area of TarabaState.

Residents said the gunmen invaded the village with sophisticated weapons at the early hours of Easter Sunday.

The latest attack came barely twenty-four hours after the Acting Governor AlhajiGarba Umar visited Wukari and held meetings with stakeholders on how to put an end to incessant attacks and crisis in the area.

Our correspondent gathered that sporadic exchange of gunfire rented the air in GidinDoruwa community for hours leaving many casualties and houses razed down as people fled to the bushes for safety.

“The situation here is so bad now that some of the security personnel have decided to withdraw for safety, but they claimed it is for reinforcement. Those of us that are strong enough, have managed to escape from the area but our aged ones especially the women and the children, many of them were trapped there, so I believe the numbers of casualties would at the end of the day exceed that figures”, a resident told newsmen.

The Divisional Secretary of the Red Cross Society of Nigeria, Lucky A. Navokhi confirmed that there was an eruption of crisis in the area,but could not make available the number of casualties as the upheaval was said to be ranging.

According to him, “there is crisis and the fighting is still on. So we don’t have any record or information to make public now.”

Taraba Police Public Relation Officer ASP Joseph Kwaji, confirmed the attack but said he was yet to get the details of casualty figures as of the time of filing this report.

Kwaji, who said the attack was launched by unknown gunmen, however noted that a detachment of policemen have been deployed to the area to contain the situation.