23 killed in Plateau communal clash

THE prevailing peace in the southern part of Plateau State was shattered on Wednesday following an outbreak of violence between the Fulani and Tarok in Wase Local Government Area of the state, leading to the death of 20 people while three other people were also killed by unknown gunmen in both Barkin-Ladi and Jos South local government areas respectively.
Nigerian Tribune learnt that the  incident occurred on Wednesday when the corpse of a young man suspected to be of Tarok stock was found in a farmland in Dumpar village within the local government area.
The discovery was said to have provoked a reprisal which threw the entire council area into pandemonium.
In the reprisal which led to skirmishes on both sides of the divide, both Dompar and Kurmi Dashe villages were attacked, leading to the death of 11 people while  nine others returning from market were equally waylaid and killed at Wadata Garga. 
As of the time of filing this report, there was  palpable tension in the local government area and the neighbouring Langtang North and Langtang South local government areas.
The chairman of Wase Local Government, Mr Zakari Mohammed, who confirmed the Wadatan Garga incident, said that about 50 soldiers have been dispatched to the area to assess the situation and restore peace.
He said that the cause of the clashes has not been ascertained and assured that the situation would be restored to normalcy as soon as possible.
In a related development, another two people were killed in Barkin-Ladi Local Government Area of the state by some unknown gunmen.
One was said to have been  killed at Foron junction and another at Heipang, close to Inland Container Depot. Their bodies were found in the early hours of Thursday.
Still reeling from this, Nigerian Tribune equally learnt that some people were ambushed at Drugline in Ladura Du ward of Du district of Jos South council and one of them killed on the spot, while two others sustained injuries.
The incidents followed the destruction of some improvised electronic devices (IEDs) by the bomb disposal unit of the state police command around Gyata Gere area of Zarmangada, in Jos South Local Government Area of the state on Wednesday.
Spokesman of the Special Task Force, Captain Salisu Mustapha, told Nigerian Tribune that he was yet to get the details of the incident in Wase Local Government Area of the state.
“As soon as I get the details, I will get across to you,” he said.