Some women and children in the community
have also been declared missing.
Director-General, Niger State Emergency
Management Agency (NSEMA), Ahmed
Ibrahim Inga, made the disclosure in a media
briefing held in his office, in Minna, the state
capital, on Tuesday.
According to him, four corpses believed to be
those of the natives were found floating on
river on Monday, during an on-the-spot-
assessment by the deputy governor, Ahmed
Mohammed Ketso and some government
functionaries.
It will be recalled that 20 worshippers and
the Chief Imam of Epogi community mosque
were killed in the early hours of last Saturday,
during the invasion of the community by
suspected Fulani herders.
Meanwhile, the state Commissioner of Police,
Alhaji Zubairu Muazu, he condemned the
attack on the island community, while he
promised that perpetrators would be brought
to book.
In a related development, the Taraba State
police command, on Tuesday, confirmed the
death of three persons in fresh herdsmen and
farmers conflict in Bali Local Government
Area of the state.
The command’s spokesman, David Misal,
told newsmen in Jalingo that the police had
deployed additional personnel to Gazabu,
Kungana, Tukun Ruwa, Utsua Daa and
Kpenkpen villages, where the crisis occurred.
“Yes, we received reports that since Sunday,
there has been series of attacks in the
remote communities in Bali Local Government
Area of the state, but the command is on top
of the situation.
“Due to the remoteness of the affected areas,
we can confirm three deaths for now, but we
will get back to you as soon as we get more
updates,” he said.
Chairman, Council of Tiv Traditional Rulers
Forum in Taraba, Zaki David-Gbaa, claimed
that 11 farmers had died since the crisis
started.
According to him, scores of people injured in
the five villages were receiving treatment at
the Bali General Hospital.
He said 1,765 people displaced by the crisis
were taking refuge in three centres in Bali.
On his part, Lamido Bakundi, Alhaji Misa
Gidado, in whose domain the crisis broke out,
told newsmen that a series of meetings with
stakeholders were on to end the crisis.
Meanwhile, hope has risen to end the crisis
between Fulani herdsmen and farmers in
Nigeria as African Union (AU) will, in its next
conference, wade into the crisis.
This was disclosed in Abuja by the Minister
of Agriculture and Rural Development, Chief
Audu Ogbeh, at the town hall meeting
organised by the Ministry of Information and
Culture.
Speaking at the meeting, Chief Ogbeh said
the clash between farmers and herdsmen had
become a security issue that needed to be
tackled.
He said a memo on the crisis was sent to
President Muhammadu Buhari, which he had
taken to AU and other West African countries,
adding that in the next AU conference,
stakeholders would be engaged to find out
ways to tackle the crisis.