Deputy Senate Minority Leader, Emmanuel Bwacha, at the weekend raised the alarm over silent killings going on in Taraba State.
Bwacha who represents Taraba South Senatorial District said that the silent killings were being perpetrated by dislodged Boko Haram insurgents who moved from Borno, Adamawa and Yobe States.
He noted that the alarm became necessary in order to alert the Federal Government and security agencies about the possible break down of law and order in the state.
The insurgents, he said, were working to establish a new base in Taraba State having been dislodged from Borno, Adamawa and Yobe States.
He said, “Following the successes recorded by the military in the three North Eastern states of Adamawa, Borno and Yobe, the insurgents are beginning to relocate and they are finding themselves, a new haven in Taraba state.
“It is very clear, by the massive movement of strange people into the state, across all the local government areas, in fact the highlights of those areas are there.
“We are hereby calling on security operatives to go and begin to sniff around and cross check. I am saying this because we have facts on ground.
“What the insurgents do, because they want to establish a new base, is that they entered bushes where they see people settle, they kill them.
“We have recorded numerous cases of killings and silent killings are still going on. We now have internally Displaced Persons in Taraba, in their large numbers because those who were displaced from their villages, relocate to the towns.
“In fact as I speak, this year’s farming season is being threatened already because the farmers would not be in their farms to cultivate anything having been chased away by the insurgents.
“Once the farmers go to the farmers, the Boko Haram elements go to them and kill them.
“To worsen the situation, the insurgents move around like herdsmen but they are not the original herdsmen we know because the Fulani herdsmen don’t move about with AK-47 riffle.
“Boko Haram elements were caught, rearing over 300 cows, it is on record and the Nigerian security agencies are aware of this.
“The situation is becoming more complex, and difficult because they move around like herdsmen where they don’t carry the Ak-47 riffle physically, they wrapped them and put them on the cows.
“People will think they are luggage but they are arms. National Security is being threatened and that is why we have to raise alarm.
“The local vigilante has limitations except when government gives the group, formal backing. They don’t carry arms like the Civilian JTF in Borno State who have official backing of the state.
“The insurgents are just moving secretly in Taraba state looking for where to settle.
“The senate committee will soon visit Taraba state to enable them to have on the spot assessment of the presence of the IDPs in the state.
“As far as I am concerned, President Muhammadu Buhari, has recorded tremendous success in fighting Boko Haram and I also commend him for moving round some of the African sub region to collaborate with them to have a frontal approach.
“But the insecurity involving traditional herdsmen clashing with farmers needed to be addressed urgently.
“That is why we have been advocating for ranches to reduce these crises. The American cattle are fatter than our own, they are well fed but they don’t move around. If you keep them in a secluded place, backed with appropriate legislation, we would be able to reduce these crises.”
