Taraba South under existential threat, Youth Coalition cries out

A youth coalition in Southern Taraba senatorial District of Taraba State, North Eat Nigeria, Southern Taraba Youths Coalition for Peace (STYCOP) has cried out over high level of insecurity threatening the peaceful co-existence of the zone.

The coalition in a world press conference in Abuja Tuesday titled: Insecurity and Banditry in Southern Taraba” stated they were crying out on behalf of the peace loving youths of Southern Taraba that the future of their Communities was under serious threat by recurrent ethnic conflicts and the ongoing banditry attacks on defenseless peoples

Speaking during the conference, Project Director of the coalition, Hajara Love John flanked by Ambassador Rikwense Muri and Ure Caleb Founder and Media Director respectively said several communities in Southern Taraba were under siege especially in Takum, Ussa and Yangtu Special Development Area.

John noted these sad realities may hinder peaceful conduct of 2023 election in Southern Taraba if things continued the way they were going.

She said that due Jukun–Tiv crisis, 70% of Jukun and Tiv villages in Wukari and Donga Local Government Areas had been destroyed and deserted.

Her words, “Currently, there is ongoing ethnic cleansing of Kuteb people in villages in Takum LGA, Ussa LGA and Yangtu Special Development Area by gun wielding bandits. Our people are facing daily attacks from the bandits who use sophisticated weapons to maim, kill and displace thousands.

“Attacks have heightened in frequency and sophistication leaving over 40 kuteb villages destroyed. Just yesterday, scores were killed in five (5) villages bordering Lissam, headquarter of Ussa Local Government Area.

“We also want the world to know that despite the volume of destruction and displacement of people in Southern Taraba, there is no special security operation by government to provide protection for our people.

“The soldiers in 93 Battalion Army Barracks Takum are overstretched and with only little support from the state government to keep the men on constant patrol. Additionally, operation whirl stroke has no base in Ussa and Yangtu the epicenter of the current genocide.

“This is why the bandits have upper hand in every attack. This is traumatizing as we have nowhere else to go. The future is bleak and we are really at crossroads” she said.

She  however call on National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA ), Nongovernmental Humanitarian organization to quickly respond to the humanitarian crisis and urged Federal and State Governments to declare a state of emergency in the Southern Taraba with special security/military operations that will defend our communities against these rampaging terrorists.