Taraba state: Fear grips Jalingo residents over killings

Residents of Jalingo, the Taraba State capital are living in palpable fears over the recent spate of attacks and assassinations of people in the city.

On Wednesday night, one person was assassinated in the Lassandi area of Jalingo, and a medical doctor with Federal Medical Centre, Dr. Wallace George, was attacked in his house behind the Catholic Cathedral, Mile 6, Jalingo.

Two vigilantes who came out to repel the attackers were shot and killed by the fleeing attackers.

Some of the residents who spoke to our correspondent expressed fear that the trend might degenerate into a more chaotic situation with elections around the corner.

“This development is scary and security agencies must sit up to tackle this ugly trend. If people are not safe even in Jalingo, where will they be safe in the state?

“I am afraid that we may have a situation at hand that we might not be able to handle with elections around the corner,” Barr. Nurudeen Mohammed told our correspondent.

Reacting to the attack on Dr. Wallace George, the state’s Chairman, Nigeria Medical Association, Dr. Edeth Nkantah, told our correspondent that a lot of doctors were traumatized by this incident.

Nkantah noted that doctors pay heavy taxes to the government and the least they expect from the government was the security of their lives and property.

“Unnecessary and unprovoked attacks on medical personnel are condemnable and can affect the health and wellbeing of other members of the society.

“If doctors are not safe in their working and residential environment, industrial harmony may not be guaranteed and they may be forced to down tools at short notice.

“We, therefore, call on the state Governor, Commissioner of Police, Director DSS, Commandant, NSCDC and other heads of security agencies in Taraba State to swing into action and improve the general security situation in the State and ensure the safety of medical doctors and other health personnel,” Nkantah said.

When contacted, Acting Police Public Relations Officer in the state, Gambo Kwache, said an investigation into the matter was ongoing and advised the public to go about their normal business as more personnel have been deployed to track down the killers.