Taraba state governor, Darius Ishaku, has called for an urgent adoption of state and local government police to put an end to the protracted conflict between farmers and herdsmen.
This was said after a memorial service held for 51 farmers killed during an attack on Taraba communities last month.
Correspondent Owolabi Adenusi reports that relatives and friends of 51 farmers slain on the 17th of May in Kona and Ardo Kola communities are agonising over the loss of their loved ones.
At this memorial service, the leadership of the Christian community is calling for peace rather than retaliation, stressing that harmonious existence between farmers and herders is very much possible. They described the dead as heroes of their generation and lovers of Kona tribe.
Survivors of the attack, who are still in Camps for Internally Displaced Persons, say their singular desire is to return to their ancestral homes.
Governor Darius Ishaku says there are clear ways of putting an end to the continued security challenges posed by not only the conflict between
herders and farmers but also by other criminally minded people in the state. There is also a call for the involvement of traditional institutions to secure a permanent solution.
The conflict between herdsmen and farmers has lingered on in Taraba and neighbouring states, with frequent attacks on farming communities.
