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Taraba: Army Arrests 12 Suspected Kidnappers, Recover 14 Motorcycles, Pistol, Bags of Indian Hemp

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Kidnap suspects

From Eleojo Samuel Adaji Jalingo

Troops of 6 Brigade Nigerian Army / Sector 3 Operation Whirl Stroke (OPWS) have apprehended 12 suspected kidnappers and recovered 14 motorcycles, a locally fabricated pistol, and two bags of Indian hemp in its operations within Taraba State.
This was contained in a Press Release signed by Captain Olubodunde Oni, Acting Assistant Director of Army Public Relations of the 6 Brigade in Jalingo on Tuesday.

Recovered Motorcycles


“Following a distress call from the residents of Chanchanji village regarding the abduction of two individuals by a group of about 10 armed men on motorcycles on 7 November 2024. Acting immediately, troops launched a rapid response operation aimed at rescuing the victims and intercepting the kidnappers.
“Upon making contact with the armed group, the superior firepower of the troops forced the kidnappers to withdraw deep into the bush, leaving behind their locally fabricated pistol and two bags of Indian hemp”.
According to capt. Oni the troops’ thorough exploitation of the area prevented further criminal activity and disrupted the kidnappers’ operations.
“In a subsequent follow-up operation which was based on credible intelligence, troops on 9 November 24 arrested 12 suspects and seized 14 motorcycles at a local drinking joint in Mbhakyir village close to Agu Center.
“During an intensive investigation, the troops arrested the suspects who upon interrogation. admitted to being part of the kidnapping operation and identified their leader as Veior John Gata, a notorious terrorist who has been on the wanted list of security agencies for orchestrating criminal activities in parts of southern Taraba and Benue states”.

The suspects, according to the acting Director Army public Relations the suspects further confessed that Veior was with them at Agu center on 5 November 2024 before the killing of two locals and abduction of two individuals on 6th and 7th November, respectively at Chanchanji village in Takum local government.
“They suspects added that Veior was displeased with the locals in Chanchanji, hence he want to ensure that the market is closed down by putting fear and terror in the mind of both buyers and sellers”.
The Release commended the efforts of local residents for their cooperation, encouraging them to continue providing timely and credible information to facilitate security operations.
Captain Olubodunde Oni stressed that 6 Brigade Nigerian Army remains committed to ensuring the safety and security of all communities within its area of operation.
He therefore advised members of the public to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activities to security agencies in their area///.

Taraba

Taraba: Governor Kefas presents ₦429bn 2025 Budget to State Assembly

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Governor Kefas Agbu

By Eleojo Samuel Jalingo

Taraba State Governor Agbu Kefas on Monday presented the 2025 budget estimate of ₦N429,898, 968,402. 31 to the State House oof Assembly for consideration.
The budget has an estimated recurrent expenditure of 39.9% while capital expenditure is expected to gulp 61% of the total budget sum.
The governor disclosed that the theme of the budget “budget of transformation” reflects the the blueprint of his administration which aims at transforming the state in terms of infrastructures and ensure an atmosphere where the people can explore the available opportunities for growth.
He emphasized that the focus of the administration in the next year would be enhancing quality life for the people.
The governor said priority would be given to the development of Education, Infrastructure, Entrepreneurship, Agriculture, Security, Ecotourism and
Strengthening Governance.
Kefas who observed that the budget was ambitious but achievable, also called on the assembly to support and encourage the executive in order to realize the objectives of the 2025 fiscal policy.
The governor maintained that the 2024 budget which was N313.39 billion has recorded 46.7 percent implementation so far and assured that machineries have been put in place to ensure a better budget performance for the year in view.
Earlier, the Speaker of the State House of Assembly Rt. Honourable Kizito Bonzana noted that the State has recorded tremendous improvements in areas of security, education, human capital development, workers welfare and infrastructural rehabilitation.
Bonzana, who rated the 2024 budget performance as fair assured the House will work tirelessly to ensure quick passage of the budget without compromising on thoroughness.

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Taraba

Takum Chieftaincy Tussle: Fresh Tension as Jukun Elders Fault Chamba Utterances

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Governor of Taraba State, Dr. Kefas Agbu

By Eleojo Samuel, Jalingo

It is no longer news that the decision by Governor Agbu Kefas, to install a Chamba man as the first class chief of Takum to abolish the age long ‘Ukwe Takum’ traditional Council in Takum Local Government Area of Taraba State has generated serious concerns and tension within and outside the state.

Our reporter gathered that a fresh tension is brewing following recent alleged utterances by some Chamba elites that the Chambas having two first class traditional stools in Taraba and are gradually taken over the Kwararafa Chiefdom from the Jukuns who are having only one first class ruler in the State.

According to our sources the Chamba leaders allegedly made the comments recently at Ganye, Adamawa State, during a meeting with Chamba youth Association.

During the said meeting, the Chamba elders allegedly boasted that with General T Y Danjuma, their kinsman, the Chamba ethnic group is capable of displacing any existing traditional institution to their advantage.

It was gathered that these statements by the Chamba elders, did not go down well with prominent Jukun elders in Wukari and Takum who allegedly blamed Governor Kefas for imposing the Chamba tribe as first class chief of Takum to please General Danjuma.

Reacting on the matter, a Jukun elder from Takum, Mr Abraham Tsokwa, who spoke with a group of Journalists in Jalingo on Sunday, expressed dissatisfaction with the measures adopted by governor Kefas in the name of “resolving the Takum Traditional Tussle.”

Tsokwa said history shows that the Chambas whose population are minute in Takum, migrated from Adamawa State and the Cameroon Republic to Taraba and were never part of the Kwararafa kingdom.

He blamed governor Kefas for dancing to the dictates of TY Danjuma, (a Chamba man) to distort the traditional history of Takum Chiefdom, without consulting the Jukun elders of Takum.

He applauded the immediate past governor Darius Ishaku, for resisting every pressure and threat from the retired Chamba army general to temper with the traditional history of the Takum people.

“Ishaku, knowing the implication of toying with history, acted wisely by not subjecting himself to pressure from TY Danjuma, after consulting with elders and considering the historical background surrounding the chieftaincy in Takum.” He said.

According to him the traditional stool of Takum, has been an exclusive right of the Kutebs which they have been occupying since time immemorial. “That is why the title is Ukwe Takum in Kuteb native language.”

He blamed Kefas for playing to the gallery by subverting the interest of the Jukun and transferring them to the Chambas who are already occupying a first class seat in Donga, second class in Dakka, third class seats in Chanchangi and Kashimbila in Takum Local Government and, Suntai Daji, Dakka and Kungana in Bali local government area as well as Nyankula and Rafinkada in Wukari local government.

He expressed bitterness that the Chambas who have an insignificant population in the state, are occupying two first class traditional institutions against the Jukuns with just the Aku Uka as the only first class traditional ruler.

He warned the Chamba people, particularly those within the elders brackets, to exercise restraints in their utterances so as not to create avoidable tension in the state.

“As we await the outcome of the matter at the Appeal court in Yola, I appeal to everyone to restrain from making unguarded utterances bearing in mind the histories of inter ethnic crisis in the locality which no one benefitted.” Tsokwa said.

It could be recalled that Gov. Kefas, few months after his assumption of office tinkered with the age-old Ukwe Takum chieftaincy institution as he installed a Chamba man as a first class chief with third class chief from the Jukun and Kuteb tribes under a rotational arrangement.

The aggrieved tribe is the Kuteb who did not buy into the purported “resolution of the Chieftaincy Tussle” of their respected and predictable mode of succession to the stool of the Ukwe Takum.

The Kuteb tribe swiftly challenged the state government’s decision at a Jalingo High Court and currently at the appeal court in Yola, maintaining that the stool of Ukwe Takum which has been in existence since the creation of Takum must be restored.

Our reporter reliably gathered that recently a three man delegation consisting of a high court judge, a prominent traditional ruler and a renown private legal practitioner from the state were allegedly sent to Yola to influence the appeal number CA/YL/188/2024 filed by the Kuteb people pending before the court.

Aside from this, some Kuteb youths were also allgedly recruited and placed on a N250,000 each monthly allowances for them to feed the government with any information from the camp of the Kuteb on issues pertaining the struggle to reclaim the Ukwe stool..///.

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Taraba

Senator Tutare Facilitates Training for 537 Women, Youth in Soap Production in Taraba

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A two-day training program aimed at empowering 537 women and youth from Shira, Yerima, and Sendirde wards in Gassol Local Government Area, Taraba State, kicked off in Mutum Biyu, the local government headquarters.
The program, focused on bar and liquid soap production, is being implemented by Ladun Global Concept Limited, with support from Senator Abubakar Tutare and the Border Communities Development Agency (BCDA).

The initiative, designed to enhance self-reliance and community development, provides participants with practical skills that they can apply in both personal and commercial ventures. At the opening ceremony, Alhaji Isa Gunduma, chairman of the event, urged participants to seize the opportunity to learn and practice the skills being taught.
He emphasized that the training could be a transformative experience for their personal growth and the betterment of their communities.

CEO of Ladun Global Concept Limited, Mallum Abuga, reassured participants that the skills acquired during the training would not only improve their livelihoods but would also contribute to the overall development of their local communities.
He urged them to use the knowledge gained to create sustainable opportunities for themselves and others.

A director at the BCDA, Mr. Nesting Ovie, noted that the training would also cover the production of other household items in addition to soap. He stressed that the goal was to make participants self-reliant and empower them to teach others, thereby spreading the benefits of the program even further.

In her address, one of the program facilitators, Mrs. Hauwa Pogumai, encouraged the trainees to apply their skills with integrity and strive for excellence. She commended the participants for their commitment to the training and the organizers for their dedication to community empowerment.

The training underscores the commitment of Senator Abubakar Tutare, the Border Communities Development Agency, and Ladun Global Concept Limited to fostering skill acquisition and economic empowerment in rural communities across Taraba State.

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