The Commander of 6 Brigade, Nigerian Army, Sector 3, Operation Whirl Stroke, Brigadier General Kingsley Uwa, has issued a stern warning against the escalation of violence and cautioned individuals or groups against taking the law into their own hands.
The brigade commander issued the warning during a two-day stakeholders’ meeting aimed at resolving lingering communal tensions in the Karim Lamido Local Government Area of Taraba State.
Held in Jalingo, the state capital, the meeting brought together critical stakeholders from the old Muri chiefdom in response to recent disputes between the Fumang and Illela communities.
According to a statement issued by Captain Olubodunde Oni, a spokesman for the brigade, the disagreement, which stemmed from land and boundary issues, had escalated into violence, resulting in damage to farmlands and injuries to several individuals.
Addressing participants during the meeting, the brigade commander emphasised the importance of peaceful co-existence and the rule of law, noting that the military remained committed to working collaboratively with all stakeholders to ensure lasting security and peace across Taraba.
The meeting, which provided a platform for representatives from the affected communities to air their grievances and suggest ways forward, had in attendance the Chairman of the Council, Bitrus Danjos; the State Director of Chieftaincy Affairs, Benjamin Baissa; the Emir of Old Muri, HRH Alhaji Abdullahi; and the village heads of Zib, Fumang, Kalluu, Illela, Belango, Angwan Kanbari and Benranda.
At the end of the meeting, a comprehensive peace pact was signed by all parties.
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