Adamu Dantala, chairman Taraba Hunters Association, has raised the alarm that over 300 bandits have reportedly surrounded Jalingo, the Taraba State capital.
He said the bandits came to the state from Zamfara, Bauchi and other states and were responsible for killing and kidnapping in farming communities across the state as well as in some parts of Jalingo metropolis.
Dantala stated further that the bandits killed about 22 hunters and injured many others during confrontations.
According to him, on Tuesday the bandits, who had superior weapons, killed 18 hunters in Bali Local Government Area alone.
“We saw hundreds of bandits around mountain areas and in the forest, they have sophisticated weapons and it appears that the bandits are here to launch war against the people of the state,” he said.
He revealed that though the hunters were very courageous, they lacked sophisticated weapons to fully engage the bandits.
“Our members had to withdraw during an encounter with bandits two days ago because we could not match their weapons,” he said.
According to him, despite their fight against banditry, they were not getting financial support for the families of those killed or for treatment of those injured.
The chairman called on Taraba State government to arm the hunters and provide financial support to enable them do their best in confronting banditry across communities in the state.
