The 30-man peace committee set up by the Taraba State government to initiate peace moves in the Tiv and Jukuns crisis in three local government areas of the state after five days of consultations has expressed hope that the two warring tribes would lay down arms for peace.
The committee made up of 15 persons from each tribe (Tiv and Jukun) including security agencies have embarked on the peace moves within Wukari, Donga and Takum local government areas of southern Taraba to ensure cease fire among the two tribes.
The Tiv/Jukun crisis started six months ago and have so far claimed many lives and destruction of properties worth millions of naira.
Speaking with LEADERSHIP Weekend, an elder statesman and opinion leader, Mr. John Mamah, who is from Takum local government area said the Jukuns from the area were eager to welcome peace among the two tribes.
Mamah said the Jukun youths, elders and women gave the committee a warm reception and had a fruitful deliberations, “we the committee are not also relenting our efforts, we are monitoring the peace process, at the time we were in Takum, I understand all the road blocks were open.
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“The road from Takum via Chanchaji to Wukari was free, Takum via Kashimila to Jatoaka was also open, I got information that the skirmishes that earlier happened in Donga local government were also put under control.
“Nobody wins in a crisis like this. It is time for farming and people need to go to their villages instead of engaging in killings.”
Mrs. Rebecca Manaseh, the immediate past commissioner for environment who is also a member of the committee from Takum who conducted the meeting of the Tiv people, said the meeting between the committee and the Tiv community was successful and fruitful.
Manaseh said the Tiv people agreed with peace moves by the state government and urged the governor to mobilize security agencies to allow them leave the internal displace persons camps for their homes to continue with their farming activities.
