Group raises alarm and calls for immediate action as bandits take over Taraba communities

The administration and security forces of Taraba State have been encouraged by a group called the Kuteb Yatso of Nigeria (KYN) to speed efforts to recover areas that are currently under the control of bandits.

The KYN has raised an alarm about the frightening rate at which bandits have taken over various sections of the state, following recent savage killings in the Yangtu Development Area.

“It is no longer a secret that some of our local communities have been taken over by mercenaries who continue to occupy our homes, churches, and school buildings,” the group, led by National President Emmanuel Ukwen, stated in a statement of concern.

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They demanded that measures to reclaim the land and bring peace back to the impacted communities be strengthened and expedited by the state government, police force, DSS, and other security personnel.

According to the KYN, the turmoil in the area has made it easier for criminal activity to flourish, which has increased the number of banditry, kidnappings, robberies, rapes, and other heinous crimes.

They also cited the vacant Ukwe Takum seat as a reason, saying that several criminal organisations had been able to flourish in the state as a result of the vacuum.

Governor Dr. Agbu Kefas was asked by the KYN to thoroughly research the history of the Ukwe Takum stool, as they were concerned about a possible fake bill that would go against the customs and traditions that already exist.

They made it clear that Kuteb rules and traditions dictate the only ways in which the Ukwe Takum stool may be shared, cycled, or given up to any individual or tribe.

The group demanded that the governor give Ukwe Takum’s nomination by Kuteb Native and Customs top priority before promoting any recently established chiefdoms in the area.

The governor was under pressure from a number of sources, and the KYN acknowledged this. They asked the governor to stay focused and avoid distractions, cautioning that doing so could exacerbate the already unstable situation.

The KYN emphasised the necessity of swift and immediate action to solve the growing crisis and safeguard the impacted communities in light of their worries about local communities falling into the clutches of mercenaries.