Gunmen attack palace in Taraba, kill traditional ruler
Gunmen have attacked and killed Alhaji Abdulmutalib Jankada, the traditional ruler of Sansani chiefdom in Gassol local government area of Taraba State.
According to reports, the criminals invaded the monarch’s palace on Thursday.
Eyewitnesses said the assailants rode into Sansani town on motorcycles, sneaked into the palace and gunned down their target.
It was further gathered that the gunmen went straight to a room where the monarch was sitting and shot him severally, seizing his phones afterwards.
The monarch died on the spot as the attack took palace guards and his family members unaware.
Musa Sansani, a resident of Sansani town, said they heard gunshots but did not know the shots were from the palace.
“The late chief told us yesterday that he was traveling to Ibbi for Nwonyo Fishing Festival which is taking place on Friday and Saturday. We never knew the Chief did not travel yesterday evening so when we heard the gunshots, we did not suspect it was inside the palace,” he said.
He said the gunmen silently left the town after killing the monarch and it was his wife who found him dead inside his room that raised alarm which attracted the entire people in the town and other towns in the chiefdom.
“We are mourning, and the late chief will be buried after Friday prayers,” he said.
The deceased monarch was abducted along Jalingo-Wukari road two years ago and ransom was paid before his release.
The incident brings the number of traditional rulers killed by gunmen in the state to about seven in the last few years.
When contacted, Taraba Commissioner of Police, David lloyanomon, referred journalists to the command’s public relations officer, SP Usman Abdullahi.
But Abdullahi said he was sick and could not comment.
