The Taraba State government has inaugurated an 11-man task force committee to recover all looted items, as well as assess the level of damage done to private and government facilities in four local government areas of the state.
The deputy governor, Haruna Manu, inaugurated the committee on Friday in Jalingo, the state capital.
He explained that the rationale behind the constitution of the committee was to right the wrongs of the rampaging youths during the lootings carried out between October 24 and 27.
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“The state government, in its constitutional responsibility of protecting lives and property, has already taken measures to curtail the excesses of these hoodlums who derive pleasure in violence by looting in the state capital and other three local government areas of Ardo-Kola, Takum, and Wukari,” he said.
Manu added, “Government has decided to set up this task force committee to recover all looted items from public and private offices or surrendered items in the state with a view to restoring them to their rightful owners who have fallen victims of circumstance.”
In his remarks at the inauguration ceremony, he listed the terms of reference to include identifying all persons who aided or abated the removal of public and private properties.
The committee was also charged to identify and ascertain all public and private properties looted, and the extent of damage or losses occasioned by the violence in the state.
Manu urged the committee led by Retired Lieutenant Colonel Nashuka Tukura to work within the ambit of the law and the Constitution of the country.
He also asked the members to identify casualties, recommend the way forward, and tender their report within 14 days.
“I call on the residents of Taraba to join hands and cooperate with the committee members to restore sanity to the socio-economic and political life of the state in order to bring about the desired development,” the deputy governor said.
He called on those involved in the looting to willingly surrender the items stolen, warning that failure to do so would attract severe consequences.
