By BANNERNEWS Reporter, Jalingo
No fewer than three youths have been killed and several others injured in a series of violent clashes between rival gangs in Jalingo, the Taraba State capital, over the past few weeks.
The gangs, comprising mostly secondary school students and school dropouts from different neighbourhoods, have reportedly been involved in recurring violent confrontations fuelled by drug abuse, disputes over girlfriends and political affiliations.
The clashes have been recorded in Jika da Fari, Kasuwan Yalwa, Yamusala, Sabon Layi and Mallam Joda areas of the metropolis, with residents saying the attacks often occur at night when gangs invade rival territories.
A resident of Mallam Joda, John Dauda, described the clashes as a growing security threat, alleging that innocent residents are frequently attacked during the violence.
He recalled that last week vehicular movement was halted from PDP Junction to the Jika da Fari Cemetery as rival gangs clashed, forcing residents to flee for safety.
According to him, shops along the route were shut while motorists and commercial motorcyclists abandoned the road for fear of being caught in the violence.
Another resident of Jika da Fari, Haruna Rufai, said repeated gang clashes in the area had left several youths seriously injured.
Similarly, David John, a resident of Yamusala, said police and other security agencies had, on one occasion, intervened to disperse the gangs and restore peace. He urged security agencies to intensify efforts to curb the menace before it escalates further, blaming youth idleness and political actors for fuelling the violence.
Efforts to obtain the reaction of the Taraba State Police Command were unsuccessful, as the Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Victor Mshelizah, neither answered calls nor responded to text messages sent by BANNERNEWS.
