By Andrew Ojih, Jalingo.

The paramount ruler of Kona village in Jalingo local government area of Taraba state, His Royal Highness,  Kuru Augustine Njenmang on Tuesday warned that the continued provocation and killing of his people by armed herdsmen could lead to a total breakdown of law and order if it does not stop immediately.

Njenmang, who addressed the press following last Wednesday’s killing of three people  and  last Thursday morning invasion and destruction of farms in Kona by armed herdsmen lamented that after killing four of his subjects within three days without any provocation, the herdsmen invaded and destroyed some farms in the early hours of last Thursday despite the lush grasses around.

“I want to say this once and for all. We can not continue to take this. This is our land and nobody can send us away. We are peace loving people but this should not be taken for granted. On Sunday, a young man went to check his farm and was gunned down by armed herdsmen. On Saturday, they killed three of our people again, without any provocation. And then this morning, they left all the lush surrounding grasses and took their cows into people’s farms and caused great damage. What do they want?
“Our youths mobilised and chased them away and confiscated the cows. We called in the police and as peace loving people, we are ready to return their cows to them as soon as they pay for the damage they have done on people’s farms. But let me warn strongly that there is a limit to which we can take this. It has to stop. No one enjoys monopoly of violence”.

When The EYEWITNESS visited some of the IDPs camps,  some of the sick children were seen around while their parents complained of lack of funds to take proper care of them, while men of the Nigerian police were seeing guarding the cows that were confiscated by the youths.