Ahead of his visit to Taraba State today, victims and community leaders in Mambilla Plateau yesterday called on Vice President Yemi Osinbajo to ask questions on the alleged genocide against the Hausa/Fulani perpetrated in the area in June.
The Fulani community in Taraba State had accused the Mambilla people of ethnic cleansing against them, alleging that over 100 Fulani people had been killed, hundreds of houses burnt and countless cows killed or stolen, and that the Mambilla tribe massacred their people because of land.
One of the Fulani leaders, Alhaji Abdulmumini Umar, told Daily Trust that they were happy Osinbajo would finally visit Taraba “after endless moves by the state government to conceal the true picture of what transpired.”
Osinbajo who had more than twice shelved his planned visit to Taraba, is expected to commission some projects executed by the Governor Darius Ishaku-led administration.
Umar alleged that besides the suspension of the embattled Sardauna LGA chairman John Yep, nothing was done, saying the Taraba government had opted for silence after describing the carnage as a clash, instead of an attack.
“There was a Senate motion on the attack, and certain resolutions were set forth, including the setting up of a judicial tribunal by the Federal Government but nothing has been done. Some minor arrests were originally made, but the suspects were all released,” he said.
Another resident of the area, Habibu Usman, said contrary to claim that peace had returned to Mambilla, “Tension is still high, isolated attacks are still taking place with IDP camps still recording victims. These are the issues the VP should look into.”
PUO METRO gathered in Jalingo yesterday that the vice president had from the beginning been scheduled to meet with both Mambilla and Fulani communities in the Mambilla Plateau.
