Thirteen people have been confirmed dead after violent communal clashes between Tsobo and Wadaku in Bashaka, Sabonlaye, Gundili, Wami, Suwa and Bachama of Lamurde Local Government of Adamawa State.
Penpushing reports that following this disturbing development the security agencies have initiated a campaign to promote peace among two warring ethnic groups, while it is recalled that the government in July, imposed a curfew after the clash over farmlands in which10 people were initially confirmed killed.
The curfew, initially imposed from dusk to dawn but later relaxed to 6 a.m. to 5 p.m., was still in force as of Sunday morning, however, to calm tension in the communities, the police and other security agencies have urged the disputants to dialogue for peace.
Penpushing further reports that a resident of the Waduku ethnic group who resides in Lamurde town Lofty Timothy said findings showed that, it was under that curfew that the Tsobo people discovered more bodies of their missing members by a riverside.
“The Tsobo people claimed that four of theirs were missing and demanded our community to produce their bodies. Later we heard they discovered three bodies’, Timothy was quoted saying
Penpushing also reports that Timithy added and claimed that the Tsobo were attacking Wadaku people living among them, pointing out that they are not respecting the curfew, rather, demolishing houses
The resident accused the police of compromise for allowing some people to break the curfew, just as a young man, identified as Luka Elisha and the youth leader of the Tsobo people, was seen in a video standing before a police station surrounded by police officers and soldiers and demanding the release of their missing people, dead or alive.
‘They are not respecting the curfew. They are attacking and demolishing the houses of our people living with them. On behalf of the leaders of our community, we demand police and other security agencies to bring back our people, dead or alive’, Elisha said
Penpushing reports that Elisha speaking in the Hausa language while appealing to his people to be patient with the security agencies, declared that the killing was going to be the last in the community
The police and other security agencies as at the time of filing this report have visited the Tsobo and Waduku people in their respective communities to encourage dialogue among the groups.
Penpushing further reports that Adamawa State Police Command Public Relations Officer Suleiman Yahaya in a statement shared on Facebook by Suleiman Yahaya, showed the Commissioner of Police, Dankombo Morris, alongside commanders of sister security agencies, took part in the visits.
The Adamawa State Police Command spokesperson in the statement explained that the initiative, “Confidence Building Patrol,” was aimed at restoring peace among the Tsobo and Waduku people.
“The CP engaged the community members in a peace talk to restore peace, order, and prevent further violence. He advised all individuals involved to desist from any act capable of breaching public peace, stressing that anyone found instigating violence will face the full weight of the law’, Yahaya said.
Penpushing also reports that the Adamawa State Government as at the time of filing this report has, however, established a peace and conflict resolution commission to promote the peace process.
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