Less than 10 hours after the Governor of Taraba State, Darius Ishaku, raised alarm over impending attack by Herdsmen, raised the alarm Killer herdsmen went on a fresh rampage in Taraba State on Thursday night.
No fewer than four persons, including a couple, had been reported murdered at Ngutwsem village in Gassol local government area in a night attack by suspected herdmen.
According to a relation to the couple, who witnessed the invasion explained that as soon as Mr. Shiriga Vaawombo heard the first gunshot, he took his wife, Ngunan to a place outside their house where he thought she could be safe.
“He was returning to pick their baby when the invaders shot him. His wife then cried out from where she was hiding and was also gunned down too.
Shiriga’s second wife, Iveren, 35, who was not at home during the invasion, having travelled to Sabon Gida was all tears, Friday upon hearing the news.
A group of journalists including NEWSBEAM corespondent were on ground to assess that situation in the village on Friday in the company of Ishaku’s media aide Bala Dan Abu, a senior assistant to the governor on Revenue Mobilisation, Jerry Tyolanga and three policemen.
The village was largely deserted , most residents taking to the bush to hide and fleeing to Sabon Gida..
No policeman was sighted in the area. On seeing the journalists and the policemen,the hiding villagers came out and hurriedly used blunt diggers and hoes to dig two graves for the purpose of burying the victim.
The graves were shallow and there was no coffin to put the dead inside.
A cursory look at the bodies showed that after being shot, the assailants proceeded to cut them in the head, neck and back with machete to ensure that they had no chance of surviving.
Governor Ishaku had said on Thursday that he received a warning from some people that they would strike within 10 days
“We are on notice that in 10 days, we (Taraba) shall be attacked. I have alerted all security agencies. We are waiting.
“A helicopter has dropped arms and ammunitions in the night without its mission established. It is not a time to keep quiet; we are living in fear,”
The governor spoke at 12:47pm. The killer-herdsmen struck at 10:09pm.
Simon Tsavwua, 45, a brother to one of the victims said he had gone to bed leaving some members of the household outside.
Suddenly, he heard gun shots repeatedly. He knew they were under attack. He quickly ran outside and hid. The attackers were over 20, he said.
They wielded automatic rifles and machetes.
“But where I hid was close to where one of my brothers was killed. He cried before giving up. There was nothing I could do,” he said.
He said he and some of the family members ran further into the bush. “When we returned to the scene later, we saw four people dead,” he said, displaying some of the bullets fired by the attackers.
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