The Taraba state government has accused the Nigerian army of seizing knives from villagers in Taraba state which were being used to protect themselves against rampaging and blood thirsty herdsmen.

 

Senior Special Adviser to the Governor on Media and Publicity, Dan Bala Abu while speaking with news reporters over the weekend said it was unfortunate that AK-47 bearing herdsmen were spared while the villagers were disposed of their knives meant for protection.

 

The statement is coming few days after the state Governor Darius Ishaku accused the Nigerian military of ignoring threats by the herdsmen to attack the state.

 

According to Mr. Abu, the people of the state were continually losing faith in the army to protect them.

 

“What we are saying is that even the relative peace we are enjoying now, we still do not have confidence in the military.

 

“We are saying that we have lost confidence in the military because nothing has been done to all our complaints that people were being disarmed and that the military are discriminating in the way they doing it.

 

“They collect their kitchen knives from them while they leave the other persons who are carrying AK-47. So where is the justice in this matter? That’s why we are saying that we have lost confidence.

 

“We have the right to say that the people that were posted to restore peace are not doing what is expected of them, that they are biased. It is left for them to find out what is wrong and do what they have do to correct the wrongs being done,” he said.

 

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