Adhere strictly to rules of your engagement, Jukuns tell Army

The Jukuns in Taraba State has urged the leadership of Operation Ayem Akpatuma to, as a matter of urgency, adhere strictly to the rules of their engagement and desist from brutalising and arresting innocent citizens of the Jukun Kingdom.

The people, under the aegis of Yoka Development Association, said they were saddened that the operation has allegedly derailed from its assigned responsibility of protecting the people from attacks by herdsmen, who have been having field days by intimidating and harassing the people.

The alleged that rather than combing the forest to fish out the killer herdsmen terrorising the kingdom, which is made up of Donga, Takum, Ussa and Wukari, the military decided to station their activities at the administrative headquarters of the council, “brutalising, intimidating and arresting our innocent youths.”

Led by its National Chairman, Theo Usmanu, the group, at an interactive session with media practitioners in Takum Council, said: “It is regrettable that the men on the field have and are using this platform to witch-hunt the people of Takum.

“Not even one killer herdsman has been arrested, not to talk of being declared wanted in the face of all the killings and destructions in Takum.

“The actions of the army against the people of the areas is not unconnected with the allegation of colluding levelled against the military by Gen. T.Y. Danjuma recently.”

The group cite the ongoing killings and destruction of properties in villages, such as Tati, Muji 1 and 2, Kpashimbe, Kando, Mbiya, Tamiya, among others, saying: “The body language of Operation Ayem Akpatuma operatives indicates that Danjuma’s allegation might have informed the recent hostile posture of the Army against the good people of Taraba State.