Militia Attack Claims Lives of 3 Police Officers and 5 Civilians in Taraba

A group of suspected militia members has attacked the Tor-Damisa community located in the Donga Local Government Area of Taraba State, resulting in the deaths of three police officers and five civilians.

Witnesses reported that the assailants, equipped with advanced weaponry, invaded the community around 1 p.m. on Wednesday, firing at random.

The villagers were thrown into a state of panic, and many, including women and children, fled their homes into nearby forests to escape the violence.

Reports indicated that a total of eight individuals, including three police officers, lost their lives in the ambush, while numerous others were injured by gunfire.

A resident who preferred to remain anonymous disclosed that the attackers arrived in significant numbers, causing widespread chaos. “They stormed in and began shooting. People scattered in various directions. The entire community was in turmoil,” the individual recounted.

Emergency calls were made to the Donga Police Division, situated a few kilometers away, prompting the dispatch of reinforcements along with soldiers from the 93 Battalion in Takum.

Subsequently, the area remains largely deserted, with soldiers and mobile police units stationed there to restore order.

In response, the Public Relations Officer of the Taraba State Police Command, ASP Victor Mshelizah, confirmed the incident, detailing that the police received an alert from a resident named Zaki Orbanga about the armed assault on Tse Kwe village.

He noted that a contingent led by the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) in Donga, in conjunction with Special Forces, was quickly deployed to the incident site.

Upon their arrival, an exchange of fire ensued as the suspected bandits engaged the police unit. The police rapidly retaliated, successfully repelling the attackers.

Mshelizah confirmed that two officers, CPL Raphael Danjuma and PC Ebenezer Daniel, suffered deadly gunshot wounds during the confrontation, while another officer, PC Samuel Bawa, who was initially reported missing, was later found deceased in a nearby bush.

Additionally, the body of Nutsa Tyav, a 60-year-old leader of the local vigilante group in Tordamisa, was recovered after the attack.

The Commissioner of Police, CP Betty Isokpan Otimenyin, expressed her profound sorrow over the loss of the courageous officers and the vigilante member who gave their lives in the line of duty while safeguarding the community.

“The command extends its sincere condolences to the families of the departed and reassures them that their sacrifices will be remembered,” the police spokesperson concluded.