Over 2,000 women and children have been displaced following an attack launched by unknown gunmenon Dogon-Gawa community in Takum Local Government Area of Taraba State.

According to PUNCH, the attackers came in from the Takum axis in two Hilux vans and started shooting sporadically injuring two people in the process.

“I sat under a tree with some of my relatives when suddenly we saw two white Toyota Hilux vans coming from Takum axis into the community.,” a local source was quoted as saying.

“There is a major road that passes through our community from Takum to Katsina-Ala and vehicles usually ply the road, so seeing the two Hilux vans was not strange until their occupants started firing gunshots at us.

“About 2,000 residents of the community have fled and most of them are taking refuge in the neighbouring Benue State.”

The local added the attackers burnt over 30 houses, injured two persons and cut down economic trees during the raid on the community.

A resident contacted by FIJ said the gunmen were suspected to be one of the groups of armed bandits ravaging the state. He said the 2,000 displaced persons who are mostly women and children are seeking refuge in Benue State.

Shiban Tikari, Chairman of Takum Local Government Council, said he suspected that the attack was from some of the remaining boys of Gana, a kingpin bandit recently captured and killed by security operatives in Benue State.

Gana had terrorised several communities in Benue but was killed by soldiers in September 2020, three years after Governor Samuel Ortom-led government placed a N10 million bounty on information that could lead to his arrest and capture.

When contacted, David Misal, the Police Spokesperson in Taraba, could not be reached for comments; his line was not available as at the time of gathering this report.