At least seven passengers, including a school principal and a driver, have been killed at Sai village along Takum-Wukari Road while three others were reportedly lynched by irate youths in Takum town, the headquarters of Takum local government area of Taraba State in response to the killing of the travellers.
The principal, Mr. Samuel Mbapuun, who was transferred from GDSS Takum to Ibi local government area of the State, was travelling alongside other passengers when the gunmen suspected to be bandits came out of the bush with guns and machetes to attack and kill the seven passengers, leaving a woman and a baby to go.
The bandits, after killing the seven passengers, also proceeded and attacked farmers who were working close to where the seven passengers were killed.
LEADERSHIP gathered that immediately after the attack at Sai village, irate youths from Takum started rioting in Takum town, a situation that led to the lynching of three persons at Wukari junction within Takum.
A famer, who was also a victim of the attack, Mr. Iorapuu Pila, who spoke to our correspondent on phone, said the bandits came out of the forest located near Sai village along Takum-Wukari Road to attack the vehicle that was conveying the passengers from Takum to Wukari at about 7:23am on Monday.
Pila, who is currently receiving treatment at a hospital in Sai, said himself and others were working on their farm lands close to where the incident occurred when the incident happened.
“We were at work when the bandits numbering over 10 on motorcycles carrying guns and machetes came out of the bush to attack a vehicle that was conveying passengers from Takum to Wukari.
“Before we could flee from the area, some of the bandits rushed at us, attacking us with machetes, nine of us were injured,” Pila narrated.
Information available from Takum revealed that there was serious tension over the killings.
When contacted, the Taraba State Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), ASP Gambo Kwache, confirmed the incident, saying the Police Command was on top of the situation.
