Gombe state Governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya has confirmed that 15 people were killed Monday night in Nyuwar and Jessu communities in Balanga local government area of the state.
The governor made the confirmation while speaking to newsmen shortly after assessing the situation of the communities, condemning the level of damage he saw.
“In Nyuwar, I was told eight persons died and here (Hemen village) in Jessu community; I was told seven died, making 15 people. This is unacceptable,” he said.
Governor Yahaya stated further that he had declared curfew in the affected communities to allow security personnel to restore peace and to the communities.
He added that the perpetrators of the violence would be made to face the full wrath of the law.
Yahaya also assured the communities of their safety while appealing to them not to retaliate.
He ordered security personnel led by the Commissioner of Police, Mr Ishola Babatunde Babaita, to ensure that further attacks on the communities were prevented.
The governor also assured the affected persons that relief materials such as food and clothing would be brought to them quickly to ease their pains.
Also speaking, the Commissioner of Police, Mr Ishola Babatunde Babaita Babaita, told newsmen that he had deployed enough security personnel to the areas to ensure that further attacks on the communities were prevented.
Briefing the governor, the Wakilin Nyuwar, Yohanna Galmaka, appealed to him to protect the people from further attacks as many of their people had relocated from the communities.
Galmaka who broke down in tears while briefing the governor said the attacks were perpetrated by Waja people whom he described as their brothers. They had lived together for years.
The Wakilin Nyuwar of Lunguda tribe told the governor that they were attacked by Waja people from neighbouring Waja communities (in Gombe state) on Monday at 9 pm and the attack continued into Tuesday.
“We have been living together here for years, both the Lunguda and the Waja people and we are from this same Gombe state, but what we saw yesterday was horrible,” he said.
