Tiv/jukun Crisis: Tension in Taraba as militias kill Principal

There palpable tension in Taraba state as alleged militias in the early hours of yesterday attacked and killed the principal of Government Day Secondary School Sukundi, Mr. Yusuf Yaro while on his way from Sukundi to Wukari within the Wukari local government area of Taraba State.
The chairman Wukari local government council, Hon. Daniel Adigrace disclosed the attack to ABUJAPEOPLE yesterday saying the principal was attacked and killed on the spot between Sukundi to Wukari road while the motorcycle rider who was conveying him to Wukari escaped with serious injuries to narrate what happened to the police in Wukari.
“We wake up today with bad news again, our principal, a Jukun man from GDSS Sukundi was killed by Tiv militias. He was coming to Wukari from Sukundi on motorcycle, the Okada rider escaped with serious injuries. He is receiving treatment at General Hospital Wukari.
Adigrace said the name of the motorcycle rider is Jibrin Isaiaka, adding that the attackers were over 30 in number with guns and other light weapons.
“They lay ambush along the Wukari Sukundi road with guns and machetes, as soon as they killed the principal, they ran into the bush, the Okada rider is the one that came to tell us and also reported to the police.”
The president general Tiv Cultural and Social Association Taraba State, Chief Goodman Dahida while reacting to the incident said the Tiv people in Taraba State were still in support of the peace initiatives by the Taraba State Governor Darius Ishaku and would not go for any attack to truncate the peace. process.
Dahida who spoke to our correspondent in Jalingo said he quickly called the branch chairman of the Tiv Cultural and Social Association Wukari branch to get details of the accusations by Hon. Adigrace, he said all he got from him was that no Tiv man has gone out for attack within the area.
“What happened was the handiwork of the criminals. I will want the local government chairman to remain calm and trace the incident with care not just jumping into conclusion that Tiv went for attack, the criminals are enjoying the crisis and they will do everything possible to truncate the ongoing peace process,” he said.
The police public relations officer (PPRO) Taraba State command ASP David Misar said the matter was reported to Wukari police area command and the police quickly went to the scene to avert further escalation of the attack.
ABUJAPEOPLE learnt that the attack was the third one since the inauguration of the 30-man peace committee by the Taraba State government to initiate ways of stopping the eight months old crisis between the Tiv and Jukun in the three local government areas of southern Taraba State.