Why Taraba, Army disagree over farmers, herders clash

Facts are emerging on why there is a disagreement between the Taraba State government and the Nigeria Army on the prevailing security situations over the herders and farmers clash.

The disagreement which recently compelled the Nigeria Army to accuse the state government of deliberately thwarting the efforts of the ongoing military operations in the state, has brought to the public glare the numerous letters written to the presidency and the leadership of security operatives in the country alarming them of the prevailing security situations in the state.

In one of the letters written and signed by the governor, Darius Dickson Ishaku, he had earlier informed the presidency about the concerns raised by some traditional rulers in the state concerning the influx of Fulani militia and the subsequent attacks on their communities.

Not comfortable with the position of the Nigeria Army towards the prevailing security situation in the state, the governor called on the leadership of the army to, as a matter of urgency, transfer out of the state the present Commanding Officer of the 93 Battalion situated in Takum council.

The letter said: “Lt. Col. Ibrahim Babatunde Gambari has become partial and quite discriminatory in his conduct and in the discharge of his duties. I therefore request that the officer be transferred away from Takum.”

Also, a letter alerting the military of a massive movement of herdsmen and their cows to Takum, whose motives as stated by the governor in the letter “ was to provoke the people and precipitate crisis” adding that the “ military in charge of security did nothing.”

Citing the widely publicized reports concerning a suspected chopper that dropped arms in a village near Wukari town, the governor expressed dismay in the letter that “ the whole thing was simply downplayed by the security agencies.”

Testifying that numerous correspondents have been forwarded to the presidency by the governor, the Senior Special Assistant to the governor on Media and Publicity, Bala Dan-Abu, confirmed that he is aware that “ my boss who is the chief security officer of this state, has been in touch with the Presidency concerning the security situation of this state.