In Taraba, violent altercation erupts at naming ceremony, resulting in fatality

Reports confirm that a clash at a naming ceremony in Taraba State led to the death of one individual and several others sustaining injuries.

The incident took place in Gullum village, Jalingo, the state capital, on Saturday night. It was triggered by a dispute between two rival groups over a girlfriend.

According to an eyewitness named Timbah Agyo, the trouble began during the naming ceremony when two young men got into a confrontation over a lady they both claimed to be in a relationship with.

“Upon spotting one of the group members with the girl in question, the other group immediately launched an attack, resulting in the death of one member of the rival group,” stated Timbah.

He continued, “The ceremony was proceeding peacefully until around 10:30 pm when one of the group members initiated an assault on the other group.

“Before we could comprehend the situation, the gang members brandished a knife and stabbed one of the individuals from the opposing group. We hurriedly transported him to the Federal Medical Center, FMC, Jalingo, but unfortunately, he passed away before arrival.”

Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO, Abdullahi Usman, confirmed the incident and expressed awareness of the unfortunate occurrence.

“The two young men engaged in a fight, resulting in the death of one person.”

Given the situation, the PPRO added, “After depositing the corpse at the FMC, the family arrived and requested its release for burial. However, when it was released, the youths from the area seized the body and dumped it at the residence of the accused person’s father.”

The police further stated that the youths are demanding the release of the suspect, insisting that the suspect be killed and buried alongside the deceased.

To prevent further unrest, security forces have been deployed to the area.

Regarding the matter, the PPRO assured, “Our officers are on the ground to restore peace between the two families.”