Warring Communities In Taraba Sign Peace Agreement

The warring communities of Jukuns, Fulani and Tiv in Wukari, Taraba State, have agreed to henceforth live in peace with one another.

The peace deal came following the delivery of additional eight trucks of relief materials to the victims of the violent clashes in the area.

The peace agreement, which was signed yesterday after a series of peace meetings, was brokered by the acting Governor of the state, Alhaji Garba Umar and a non-governmental organisation, Taraba Peace Initiative, headed by Bishop Charles Yohana.

The agreement was signed on behalf of the Jukuns by the state Chairman of Jukun Cultural Association, Mr. Zando Hoku; the state Chairman of Tiv Cultural and Development Association, Mr. James Nugwa, signed on behalf of the Tiv people while the state Chairman of Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association, Alhaji Mafindi Danburam, signed on behalf of the Fulanis.

Speaking an the occasion, Umar expressed gratitude to God for making the day a reality just as he expressed the preparedness of the state government to pay compensation to those who lost property.
As a result of the gradual return of normalcy to the area, the 24-hour curfew imposed on the restive town has been relaxed to run from 4pm till 6am.

Also speaking at the presentation of the fresh eight trucks of relief materials to the victims of the crisis, the acting governor urged the people of the area to eschew violence and embrace peace without which he said there could be no development.

Umar, who was represented by the Administrative Officer of the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), Mr. Douglas Dogara, further appealed to the people to tolerate each other.

Meanwhile, Senator Bwacha, told the Senate yesterday after raising Order 43 that helicopters usually come to drop weapons for insurgents in Dakar, as he called on the federal government to quickly address the situation before the insurgents turn the place to another Sambisa forest, the enclave of Boko Haram in Borno State.

Bwacha who commended the prompt response of the military to the recent crisis which engulfed Wukari, said the insurgency in Borno State was capable of spreading to other parts of the country unless proactive measures were taken to address it.

He also urged the federal government to establish army barracks in Wukari with a view to prevent further violence.

Bwacha also called on the federal government to take over the security of the state, saying that a recent resolution of the House of Assembly and crisis in the state has shown that the state government lacked the capacity to secure the state.