SIX people died in Taraba State on Friday, as angry youths protested the killing of two persons in a robbery incident.
Led by the son of a district head, the attackers in Bornon Kurku village in Bali council descended on members of an ethnic group in the area, accusing them of complicity in the robbery, which happened along the Chediya-Bornon Kurku road.
One eyewitness, who narrowly escaped death, said the youths became enraged after the corpses of the two robbery victims were brought to the village.
“On seeing the bodies, he went into his room and returned with a gun. He was shouting, ‘God is great!’ He immediately shot and killed three people. As others scampered for safety, he led a pursuit and three more persons were killed. I escaped narrowly.
“We had all gathered to see the sad scene when suddenly we became targets for the youths. It’s unfortunate that anything bad that happens is blamed on us,” said the eyewitness.
The leader of the youths has since been arrested by the police and is currently undergoing interrogation at the Divisional Police Headquarters, Bali.
Taraba State Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Joseph Kwaji, confirmed the incident, saying two persons were robbed and killed by unidentified assailants and that youths killed some people of Tiv extraction in an attempt at retaliation.
Kwaji said investigation into the incident is still ongoing and that the perpetrators would be brought to book.
Some residents of the area, meanwhile, have begun relocating to the state capital and neighbouring councils fearing the situation could deteriorate.
