By MAGAJI ISA HUNKUYI, Jalingo

The Police in Taraba State have confirmed that 15 persons were killed during the recent Shomo and Jole ethnic clash in Lau Local government area of the state.

Police spokesman in the state, DSP David Misal, in a text message sent to Daily Trust on Tuesday, said that 100 houses were also burnt down during the crisis.

However, a source from the area told our reporter that 24 persons were killed while several others are still missing.

The source said Marmi fishing pond has been a source of conflict between the two ethnic groups, who are fishermen, for decades now.

Our reporter gathered that both ethnic groups were claiming sole ownership of the fishing pond respectively.

The dispute, it was gathered, has led to violent crises which usually claim lives from both ethnic nationalities, aside the series of court litigations.

An elderly man, Mallam Musa Lau, said there was a time when Taraba State Government banned fishing in the disputed pond for a period of 10 years, saying politics influenced the lifting of ban on fishing in the pond.

Mallam Musa said the state government should be bold enough to initiate true fact-finding commission to reveal the true owners of the pond and handed it over appropriately.

He said lives will continue to be lost in clashes over the ownership of the pond if the state government failed to take decisive action on the matter. (Daily Trust)