Chief Augustine Njanmeng, Paramount Ruler of Kona people of Taraba has appealed to the State government to rehabilitate victims of recent herdsmen attacks on Kona communities in Jalingo and Ardo Kola local councils in Taraba.
Njanmeng made the appeal on Saturday in an interview with our correspondent in Jalingo.
The monarch decried the devastation occasioned by the crisis, adding that the displaced people were still living in camps doing nothing.
He noted that the early return and rehabilitation of the victims to their places of origin would enable them continue with their economic activities.
According to him, our people are itching to go back to continue with their economic activities but the attackers are still killing people.
He said that the community lost 64 people to the crisis and is regretting their continue stay in camps would cause food shortage in the state.
He observed that most of the displaced people were farmers, stressing the need to return them to continue their farming for food production.
Njanmeng commended Taraba government for providing security and relief materials to the victims who had taken over primary schools within the area.
While commending church based organizations for supporting IDPs with food and other relief materials, the traditional ruler appealed to other well meaning Nigerians to also assist the IDPs.
“I am appealing to the state government to ensure the security of our communities are stable.
” That will enable the displaced persons to return to their ancestral homes and continue with their normal economic activities.
“We are sensing future food shortage if these displaced persons who are predominantly farmers are not return to farm.
” We therefore seek for their rehabilitation and provision of more security for the protection of lives and property.
“Ordinarily, they had been itching to return but killings are still going on in some of the crisis affected communities.
” We thank the state government for the provision of relief materials, we also appreciate some church based organizations for their humanitarian support.
“We still appealed to other well meaning Nigerians to support us as government alone cannot adequately cater for these growing number of IDPs’, Njanmeng said.
Our reporter who visited the IDP camp in Kona Garo reports that the camp accommodated many peasant youths who are mainly farmers.
You can recall that the Kona communities within Jalingo and Ardo Kola local governments recently came under heavy attacks suspected to be herdsmen.
The attacks lead to destruction of homes and killing of several people, leading to an impositions of a curfew by the state government which is still running from 9pm to 6 am.
