THE Tiv/Jukun crisis in Southern Taraba State has assumed different dimensions. It has spilled to the Federal University, Wukari campus, consuming two students and a non-academic staff.
Consequently, the university authorities has shutdown the campus.
In the latest hostility, a Catholic priest, Rev. Fr. David Tanko, was gunned down and set ablaze with his white Toyota Corolla car. He burnt beyond recognition, according to eyewitnesses.
Police spokesman, David Misal, confirmed Tanko’s gruesome murder to The Nation, saying the police are probing the incident.
The episode is a puzzle to the Taraba State Police commissioner, Alkassam Sanusi, who has been given marching orders by the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Mohammed Adamu, to fish out Tanko’s killers.
It was gathered that Tanko left his church in Amadu, in the early hours of Wednesday, to see his fellow clergymen in Takum.
The deceased was reportedly in charge of St. Peter’s Catholic Parish in Amadu, a Tiv settlement in Takum local government area of Taraba state.
The late Tanko, a Jukun from Wukari, had fearlessly carried out his religious work in the Tiv area, in spite of the raging war between Tiv and his ethnic group. He allegedly organised several prayers and peace talks, seeking truce between warring parties since fresh crisis erupted in Kente village in Wukari about five months ago.
The recent crisis is an offshoot of a lingering feud based on a claim by the Jukun that the Tiv are “settlers,” in Taraba State, and therefore, have no ownership right to the land they occupy and should leave.
Describing the sad episode that led to his death, the Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Jalingo, Most Rev. Charles Hammawa told reporters that, “He left Takum at about 3pm. On his way back to Amadu, between Kasuwan Haske and TorTser, he was killed,” the Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Jalingo, Most Rev. Charles Hammawa told reporters.
Hammawa, in a telephone chat, condemned the killing of Rev. Tanko, describing it as “brutal and shocking.”
He said: “We received the news of his death with shock and great sadness. The diocese is mourning. We have been preaching peace and making efforts to bring both parties in the crisis to a round table discussion.
“For a priest who has been preaching peace to be killed in this most gruesome manner is pathetic, to say the least. A priest belongs to all. For now, we are not pointing accusing finger on any group for being responsible.
“The Police authority in the state have promised me that they are investigating the case. We pray that the perpetrators are brought to book. Our basic concern now is to give him a befitting burial. We don’t want any group to go for reprisals. Going on a reprisal attack will only worsen the situation,” he said.
Rev. Fr Cyrachus Kamai, a parish priest in Jalingo, appealed to the warring factions to spare clergymen, who he said, are praying for an end to the crisis.
He condemned the killing of Tanko, stressing that he knew the “efforts he was making to end this needless violence between Tiv and Jukun through prayers and meditations.
“In times of war, you don’t kill pastors and Imams, because if you kill them, who will pray for you and for peace to return?” There is no gainsaying that the murder of the young cleric is causing anxiety in the state, as there are many versions to the incident.
There is also a blame-game playing out. The local government council chairman of Takum, Shiban Tikari who is Jukun, has accused a Tiv militia group for killing Tanko. He also blamed several other attacks that had claimed lives and properties in southern Taraba on Tiv militants.
But the President of the Taraba Tiv Youth Progressive Forum (TYPF), Kelvin Katyo, said Tanko was killed by a Jukun militia group, who were attacking Tortser village for the third time, “cutting down mango trees and razing Tiv homes.”
He said: “If we don’t love and trust Tanko, we wouldn’t have allowed him to be preaching gospel in our area, amidst the crisis. He has been with us, eating Tiv food for over three years.
The man of God left Amadu yesterday (Wednesday) morning for Takum to hold a meeting with his colleagues. “He left Takum around 3:00pm back to Amadu when he ran into the Jukun militia while they were attacking Tortser —a Tiv village. He was shot and burnt with his car by the Jukun militia. Our investigation reveals that the Jukun militia were accusing the man of God of serving as a spy for Tiv militants.”
Katyo stressed that the incident took place between Kasuwan Haske and Tortser, “an area that has been long deserted by Tiv people, having been chased away by the Jukun. No single Tiv person now goes to that vicinity, so, it is possible that the Jukun youths who have mounted a road block there might have mistaken Tanko for Rev. Fr. Iorbee who is Tiv from Takum, who has the same type of car that Tanko has.
“We condemn this barbaric act, because the Jukun/Tiv crisis is not a religous war. So, why can’t they spare churches and clergies?” Jukuns have blamed Tanko’s murder on Tiv, on the premise that the deceased is Jukun.
The Tiv have, however, denied the allegation, stating that, they cannot kill their priest; in response, they blame the Jukun for the crime.
The social space is aflame with accusations and counteraccusations. The police said they have no firm leads about the identity of the perpetrators yet.
Meanwhile, the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Mohammed Adamu, has directed the DIG in charge of the Force Criminal Investigation Department (FCID) to provide additional forensic and other investigative assets to the Taraba State Police Command to aid investigations into the incident.