Both commercial and farming activities have been brought to a standstill in Ussa and Takum local governments of Taraba State following the killings and invasion of the region by suspected Boko Haram Islamists.
The inhabitants of the region particularly yangtu and Ussa are now living in perpetual fear of possible attack by the strange trigger- happy gunmen who appear to be mostly foreign Nationals.
The latest rampaging activities of the suspected terrorists have claimed no fewer than eleven lives of the local natives when they attacked Yangtu and Ussa communities in the state.
Members of the affected communities are also becoming increasingly worried over the consistency in the attacks and absence of military action against the terrorists since their noticeable presence in the region for sometime now.
According to locals who volunteered information on the condition of anonymity, the suspected terrorists attacked and killed nine people in Rubur Ribasi, Nyikwu and Ruwah Communities of Yangtu Special Development Area around 6:Pm.
One Yakubu Tinya, who escaped death by whiskers told our correspondent that the attackers also killed one person at Tukwog Community, along Takum-Manya road without any form of military resistance and wondered why the killings and attacks have remained unmitigated.
“They came in large numbers to separate Communities around 6:pm and killed anyone on sight. Some people were attacked right on their farms, some on their way back, some in their houses.
“They attacked me and my two brothers and killed one of us. Some of them are Fulanis, but some do not look like Nigerians. They appeared to us at a very close range,” the Escapee narrated.
The Chairman of Ussa Local Government, Amb. Peter Shamwun who confirmed the attack called for immediate military action against the suspected terrorists who have laid total siege of the area to kill more people.
He further intimated that the so-called bandits also attacked Kpambo Yashe community in Ussa local government and killed one person.
The Local Government Boss appealed to President Bola Tinubu and Governor Agbu Kefas to urgently draft a team of joint tax force (JTF), comprising the military, police and the Vigilantes to flush out the suspected terrorists in the area.
“Information available to me now is that the so-called Bandits have laid siege on Takum-Ussa road and other areas around Yantu to kill more people. I do not know why the bandits have decided to concentrate their presence in the area and operating freely without military response. From where a man was killed yesterday evening in Ussa to the military barracks in Takum, is not up to a kilometre.
“The continued attack on the people has brought so much food insecurity. My people are being attacked anytime they go to the farm. We are at the mercies of bandits, I want both the state and federal governments to intensify efforts to flush out the suspected terrorists to allow my people farm.
“There has been issues of Fulani bandits in our area but I am suspecting that the ones operating currently in the area are those that have been chased by the military operatives in Zamfara and other states in Nigeria. They have moved to settle in some local government in Taraba without mitigation”, the council chairman lamented.
However, Taraba state police command, through the (PPRO), Usman Abdullahi said the incident was still being investigated.
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