Declare state of emergency on security in Taraba, Assembly tells Tinubu
Taraba State House of Assembly on Wednesday demanded that President Bola Tinubu, the federal government, and the Taraba state government should declare a state of emergency on security in the state.
In a motion of urgent public importance, jointly sponsored by Hon. Abubakar John Tanko Yusuf of Takum (I) Constituency, Hon. John Lamba of Takum (II) Constituency, Hon. Joshua Urenyang Rikupki of Ussa Constituency, Hon. Angye Josiah Yaro of Wukari (II) Constituency, Hon. Jethro Yakubu Zikengyu of Wukari (I) Constituency and Hon. Annas Shuaibu of Karim-Lamido (II), the house lamented the persistent killings and attacks in some local government areas of state for the past four years, and called on the government to declare state of emergency on security in those local governments to bring the situation to an end.
The House also directed the Taraba State Government to liaise with its Adamawa, Bauchi, Benue, Gombe and Plateau State counterparts, to establish Joint Border Security patrol in order to curb transborder criminal activities, just as it also appealed to the executive arm of government to direct the State Emergency Management Agency to provide relief materials such as food stuffs, building materials, medical facilities to the victims in order to alleviate their sufferings.
The House equally expressed concern that the people affected by the crisis have been rendered homeless without food, access to health care and education, thereby exposing them to hunger, epidemics and attendant hardships and other inconveniences of displacement.
“The crisis which has persisted is now snowballing into banditry and is fast spreading to some neighboring communities in Donga and Kurmi local governments areas thereby jeopardising the stability of these areas.
“We are worried that bandits/terrorists have taken advantage of the crisis to take over control of communities such as Tati, Muje, Kpashi, Basang, Shenta, Kpashembe, Rikwen, Tumbu Kwaribe, Yadi among others in Takum local government area where they forcefully ejected the original inhabitants and turned their farmlands into grazing fields and banditry camps to serve as safe havens to further perpetrate other criminal activities such as kidnappings. In the same vein, along the Takum-Kashimbila road, Lufu, Kapya and Achirakera communities were attacked and people were killed.
“If these banditry activities are not brought to an end as quickly as possible, it will lead to a humanitarian crisis with all the attendant consequences. In the Ussa axis, it is worrisome to note that, over 80 people have been massacred while scores of settlers are being constantly attacked. In the other attacks, the terrorists waylaid innocent and defenseless people as they move freely between Takum to Ussa. In the wake of this, two Immigration Officers were accosted and killed by the bandits between Government Technical Training School (GTTS) and Government Secondary School (GSS) Takum.
“Just a few weeks ago in Wukari local government area, these banditry attacks took place along the Wukari- Tsokundi axis resulting in the killing of Nine (9) people, while Mr. Mikin Danasabe and Mr. Iliya Mairiga narrowly escaped death, but their valuable belongings were snatched from them.
“In Karim-Lamido local government area, the border communities/ villages sharing boundaries with Plateau, Bauchi and Gombe States have been experiencing banditry attacks recently. They include: Bachama-Dutsen Kofa Ligiri, Garau, Kommodoro, Jab-Jab, Tela Jibu, Machigin Kiriya, Chibi, Balango, Binnari, llela, Kambari and Amar”.
Following the development, the House disclosed that it has realized the fact that as a responsible government, the security, welfare and well-being of the citizenry are of outmost priority and hence the need to deploy all its capacities to beef up security in the affected areas in Taraba State is needed to ensure the safety of the people and their properties.
The House then moved and resolved as follows: “That, the Executive Arm of Government should as a matter of urgency deploy adequate security forces in these areas to contain the incessant attacks of people by the bandits.
“That, the Executive Arm of Government should direct the State Emergency Management Agency to provide relief materials such as food stuffs, building materials, medical facilities to the victims in order to alleviate their sufferings from the attacks by the bandits.
“, the Taraba State Government should liaise with its Adamawa, Bauchi, Benue, Gombe and Plateau State counter part to establish Joint Border Security patrol in order to curb transboarder criminal activities.
“That, the Executive Arm of Government should as a matter of urgency restore security check points along Manya – Takum highway and from Takum to Ussa to check the influx of these criminal elements into the hinterland.
“That, the Executive Arm should take over the responsibility of feeding the security forces stationed at Andamin and Kambir from the communities as the communities could no longer afford this”.
