By Danzumi Ishaku
About 15 people have been killed and properties worth millions of naira destroyed as a result of the lingering crisis between TIV and Jukun in Kente village Wukari local government area, of Taraba state.
The chairman of Wukari local government council Adi Daniel revealed this while speaking with Daybreak in wukari. The chairman said there was already security personnel who have been drafted to the areas to contain the situation and that normalcy have since returned to the area.
Adi Daniel told our correspondent that a series of meetings were held between Taraba and the Benue state government with a view to putting to an end the crisis in the area.
It would be recalled that early this year January, Gov Darius Ishaku of Taraba and his Benue State counterpart, Dr Samuel Ortom pledged their support to the peace move for TIV and the Jukun initiated by Archbishop Ignatius Kaigama and The Most Rev Fr James Bature to ensure socio-cultural and economic development of the two tribes.
The Governors made the pledge during the public presentation of a book “Tiv-Jukun Relationship: The Model of a Jukun Bishop and a Tiv Priest,” written by Bishop Ignatius Kaigama, the Archbishop of the Catholic Diocese of Jos and The Most Rev. Dr. James Bature, a priest of the Catholic Diocese of Makurdi.
Kaigama a Jukun and Bature a Tiv priest had met in the seminary over 40 years ago and have since maintained good friendship which they have decided to document into a book to promote unity and love among their different ethnic groups.
Speaking at the occasion, Gov Ortom thanked Kaigama and Bature for using their friendship to cement the Tiv/Jukun relationship and promote peace among the people.
He reiterated that there was no basis for fighting between Jukun and Tiv as the two tribes have lived together since the days of Benue Plateau state.
Ortom commended the revolution in the traditional institution in Taraba by Ishaku and called for the recognition of Tivs in Taraba by giving them Chiefs in the state as it was done in Benue for the Jukun.
“We must do things that will unite our people and peace can only be sustained where there are equity justice and fairness.
“We will continue to protect our people and our land for we are elected to do so.
