At least six persons have been confirmed dead as herdsmen clashed with farmers in Yoro Local Government Area of Taraba State after the herders allegedly took their cows into some farms and destroyed crops.

Chairman of Yoro LGA, Hon. Joseph Sonweri, confirmed the killing of six persons and said the cause of the crisis was still not clear. He added that security agencies were on the trail of a boy who allegedly caused the clash.

“I can’t tell you exactly what happened now because we are still trailing the boy that was said to have led the attack. He is on the run and his family has deserted their house. We spoke to him early in the morning but his line is off now, so we are trailing him. It is when we get him or any of his accomplices that we will know exactly what happened,” he said.

He, however, said the situation in the area was calm, as security operatives have been deployed to maintain peace there.

Chief of Yoro, Ado Adamu Mazan, who condemned the killings, told our correspondent in a telephone interview that they have forwarded their complaints to the Commissioner of Police for necessary action.

“It was just a little misunderstanding between herdsmen and farmers in one of the villages. We were told that some Fulani herders strayed into a farm belonging to a native, leading to the clash.

“We have since forwarded our complaint to the Commissioner of Police in Jalingo, the state capital, and he responded promptly by sending security men to the area,” he said.

The traditional ruler called on the people of the area to tolerate one another in the interest of peace and development.

Police Public Relations Officer in the state, ASP David Misal, told our correspondent that the command received a distress call about the clash and deployed the Deputy Commissioner of Police to the area to restore normalcy.

Misal said that the command could not confirm the number of casualties yet as investigation was still on. He urged residents to remain calm, saying enough security has been deployed to the area to forestall further destruction.

In a related development, armed Fulani herdsmen laid ambush for three people who were returning from the burial of the two Catholic Priests and 17 parishioners buried last Tuesday at Saint Ignatius Quasi-Parish in Ayar-Mbalom in Gwer East local government area of Benue state and slaughtered all of them.

It was gathered that the attackers ambushed their victims and slaughtered them along Makurdi-Naka road.

It was learnt that among those massacred included: Ayange Tyoban, Ukeyima Azongu and Ajuju Torgbende.

A source from Naka, the headquarters of Gwer West local government who preferred anonymity, told New Telegraph that the victims, all men, were on a motorcycle when they ran into the assailants who carried sophisticated weapons, stopped and slaughtered them in the process.

“They were coming back from Makurdi to Naka after the burial of the two Catholic Priests and 17 others worshippers killed last month by the same herdsmen,” the source said.

Governor Samuel Ortom has confirmed the killings of the three sympathisers and condemned the brutal manner the people were been massacred like animals.

“On 22 May, 2018, while people who attended the mass burial of the priests and other worshipers were coming back, they (herdsmen) were ambushed and killed by the same mercenaries, whether Boko Haram or Libyan mercenaries or Fulani herdsmen or whatever you call them.”

“For us, we will continue to be law abiding, we will continue to push that justice be done because this country belongs to us”.

“We want to see a country where there is freedom of movement, freedom of expression, freedom of everything. We want to see the safety of all so that we live together and add value to the development of our country.”

•Based on reports by Daily Sun and New Telegraph.

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