Arrest of 39 suspected Cameroonian militia sparks fears in Taraba town

The arrest of 39 suspected members of a militia group in Nguroje town of Sardauna local government area of Taraba State about three weeks ago has continued to heighten tension in the Mambilla Plateau.

The area was yet to recover from a recent crisis, which claimed several lives and destruction of property. So, the arrival of the strange men was a serious cause for concern, leading to speculation on the mission of the people, alleged to be from Cameroon.

A resident of the area, Malam Garba Haruna, said “We became suspicious because all the 39 men were accommodated in one house belonging to a lady called Madam Panso.”

He said the suspects always play football at the Government Day Secondary School field in the mornings and evenings. “What made us more suspicious was the kind of training they receive mostly in the night, and in the forest close to the secondary school.”

Haruna said Madam Panso was confronted, and she claimed they were refugees from Southern Cameroon. “However, when the men spent up to two weeks in that house and we did not see any security man around we decided to report them to the army,” he said.
Daily Trust, January 13, 2018

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