Anxiety as IDP’s corpse exhumed, burnt to ashes in Taraba

By Godwin Agia, Jalingo

A corpse of Micheal Usange, an Internally Displaced Person (IDP) a retired Director with Taraba State Teaching Service Board was on Saturday exhumed from his grave at Chiina village along Wukari Chinkai road by suspected militias and burnt to ashes.

Usange and his family were displaced in the Tiv/Jukun crisis since 2019, he died while taking refuge in Kyado, Benue state, Usange’s burial was conducted on the 28th June 2025 when the militias mobilized and forcefully removed his corpse and burnt to ashes.

Wukari is the home town of the Taraba state governor, Agbu Kefas who recently won Nigerian Union of Journalism (NUJ) security man of the year award.

Adviser to former governor of Taraba State (Danbaba Suntai) on information and technology and now a chieftain of the All Progressive Congress (APC) from Wukari Hon. Orbee Uchiv while speaking with People’s  Daily alleged that the act of exhuming his brother’s corpse, Usange from the grave and burnt to ashes was conducted by Mr. Angwu Yavini.

Uchiv said Yavini who has been fingered as one of the persons causing unrest within the Wukàri Chinkai road came to the burial of Usange on Saturday and threatened to consecrate the body, should the family go ahead to make the burial.

“On the 28th of June, which was on Saturday, while we brought the corpse of Micheal Usange for burial, Angwu Yavini, a Jukuns youths leader came alongside some youths, he threatened that the burial should not be done within the Chiina village, he insisted that even of we buried Usange, he is coming to destroy the body.

“Shockingly, we wake up yesterday, Sunday to discover that exactly what Yavini threatened during the burial was done, the body of Usange was removed from his grave, burnt and left there.”