Shocking: Military Officers allegedly chase returning IDPs in Taraba

From Godwin Agia, Jalingo

The lives of the Internally Displaced Persons IDPs, who returned and are picking up their pieces in Wukari Local Government Area of Taraba State, the home of the Executive Governor of the State, Dr Agbu Kefas, have been allegedly threatened by Nigerian soldiers stationed at a camp, about 500 meters, before Rafinkada market.

Sources disclosed that the camp Sector Commander, had asked for the IDPs while they were mending their homes at Tor-Iorshagher and had during the interaction, directed them to stop work or face the wrath of his boys, stressing that the crisis was not yet over.

“The Officer In Charge asked us to stop mending our houses and directed his boys to chase us out of our various homes. He vowed to deal with any one who attempt to settle here and then asked his boy, one staff Sergeant Damisa, to give us his GSM number, 07085278421 for clearance of doubt by any one who wants to reach out to them”. One of the IDPs explained.

While addressing our correspondent, the spoke man of the group, Mr Aluga Orbunde, an average young man of two wives with seven children who said he was also thoroughly beaten by the military officers, narrated that the crisis between Jukun and Tiv in the area had cease for over two years but the military officers who are stationed in their displaced communities had always been the ones chasing them out of their places.

“Any time we try to return home, they pushed us out and we are wondering weather they are real Nigeria Army who are supposed to protect lives and property of every citizen of this country.

“Today again, they asked us to vacate our areas else, they will open fire on us and we said it’s better they do because, what we are passing through in the various places we have been taking refuge for about five years now is not different from death. Imagine leaving your house to stay in a strange land for five years without Government attention.

“The suffering is too much on us and we have decided to return home. If they open fire on us as they said, then we and our children will go and meet the Lord and rest. However, now that we are still alive, we are calling and pleading with the State Government to stop them from executing their plans.

“We are appealing to Governor Agbu Kefas to protect us and our children as he pledged during his inauguration”. He added.

The IDPs who called for investigation into the activities of the military officers also alleged that the officer had abondoned their mandate for farming on their Displaced lands, even as they alleged that local authorities in the area had also promised the officers choice of their abandoned lands if they successfully prevent them from returning in those places.

They called on the MOD, CDS and the Senate to investigate the activities of the Nigerian military in the crisis that kept them away from their ancestral homes for five years.

Recall that in 2020, the IDPs, who fled most part of Southern Taraba, especially Wukari Local Government Area following the crisis between Jukun, the governor’s kinsmen, and the Tiv, communities, returned to their abode, especially at Tor-Iorshagher, but unknown gun men attacked and killed four persons and injured many, a situation that led them to flee their homes for the second time.