The Taraba State government says it is deeply concerned about the resurgence of kidnappings in the state, despite its cooperation with the security agencies.

Governor Darius Ishaku made the remark on Monday at a press briefing in Jalingo, the state capital.

He noted the recent kidnap and release of a member of the Taraba State House of Assembly and others that were not reported.

The governor, who was represented by the Commissioner for Information, Danjuma Adamu, promised to do everything within his powers to bring the nefarious act to an end.

He insisted that the security of lives and property of residents remained a top priority of his administration.

Adamu, however, did not rule out some security challenges in the state sparked by the crisis between the Tivs and Jukuns.

Panacea To Incessant Conflicts

He stated that sustained and committed efforts of the government to ensure that peace was restored in the southern part of Taraba had started yielding fruits.

“Securing lives and property of citizens is a high priority of this administration and the citizens can play their role by actively lending their support to the government in its tireless effort to make the state safe and secured for all.

“The committee constituted to resettle the people of Chonku and Asaa communities has recorded appreciable level of success,” the commissioner told reporters.

He also announced the establishment of a model ranch and livestock training centre, as part of efforts to address the clashes between farmers and herders in the state.

According to Adamu, provision has been made for the project in the 2021 budget recently signed by the governor.

He said, “It is important to note that ranching system is the global best animal husbandry practice that can bring about increased productivity, improved livelihood of actors in the field, safety, security, job creation, peace-building, and social justice.”

“This is to help expose the people of the state to the benefits of ranching to encourage the herders, farmers, and the youths to embrace ranching as a panacea to the incessant conflicts between these two groups,” the commissioner added.