Bandits shoot two dead in Taraba

Two persons have again been killed by yet-to-be-identified suspected bandits in Chinkai village of Wukari local government council of Taraba State.

The killings, which occurred on Wednesday, according to our state correspondent, came barely a day after the gruesome murder of an 18-year-old female Point of Sale (PoS) operator in the same local government council where Governor Agbu Kefas hails from.

Confirming the report, the council chairman, Ismaila Dauda, said, “As a matter of fact, two persons were killed in Chinkai town on the 19th of June, 2024, by bandits who entered the town and started shooting sporadically.”

Dauda, who was of the view that “our young men are being targeted,” lauded the brave acts of the army, stating that “soldiers were mobilised to Chinkai, but before they got there, the bandits had left the town.”

Also corroborating the chairman, the village head of Chinkai, Ezekiel Musa, said the attackers stormed the village in the early hours of Wednesday.

Musa, who also confirmed that two persons lost their lives in the attack, urged the government to, as a matter of urgency, put in place measures that will prevent future occurrences.

Several persons were also confirmed to have been inflicted with various degrees of injuries as a result of the attacks.

Those identified to have been killed during the attack are 51-year-old John Samuel and Daniel Igah, whose age could not be ascertained at the time of filing this report.

Persons from the community who spoke with The Guardian expressed concern over the security situation in the area.

Calling on the state government to join forces with the security operatives to cripple bandit activities in the area, they believe the need for more operatives to be deployed to the area and the council at large has become necessary.

Relatives of the deceased victims who spoke with our correspondent urged both the government and security agencies to leave no stone unturned in tracking down the perpetrators.

When reached for comments, the state police command, through its Acting Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Gambo Kwache, also confirmed that two people were killed in the attack.

The police, who also corroborated both the council chairman and the village head, said the attack occurred on the 19th of June, 2024.

Mararaban Azagawa Village of Bali local government council, it would be recalled, was also attacked last week, leading to the killings of no fewer than six people, among whom includes a 92-year-old man.