The Taraba State Police Command has revealed that the remains of seven abducted travellers have been found among the dense foliage in a forest.
The revelation was made following an attack on an eighteen-seater bus on Tuesday that was the target of an ambush in Gamkwe village, located inside the Donga Local Government Area of the state.
The bus, loaded with people from Zako Biam in Benue State, was travelling to Maihula in the Bali Local Government Area of Taraba State when a gang of attackers—possibly vigilante members—launched an attack on it
According to reports, the vigilante members, mourning the death of one of their colleagues, assaulted the bus in a fit of rage, accusing the passengers—Tivs—of killing their fellow vigilante member.
Following the attack, the authorities reported 15 passengers, including women and children—missing.
The State Police Commissioner, CP David Iloyonomon, stated on Wednesday that his officers discovered the seven corpses in the bush as they were patrolling the Donga Local Government Area of the State in an effort to quell growing tensions between the Ichen and Tiv ethnic groups.
The commissioner said that a man, a baby, and five women were the seven corpses that had been found.
According to the commissioner, the incident began on Tuesday when Ichen youths from the Mararaba area of Donga LGA complained to the Police Area Command that a Pastor and a church member were missing while on their way to church.
According to Iloyonomon, on the same day, youths discovered the rotting remains of the missing people and began assaulting the Tiv residents of the town.
