Gunmen had stormed the community in the early hours of Tuesday, injuring scores of other residents and burning houses worth millions of naira. Chairman of the council, AdiGrace Daniel confirmed this to Channels Television via a telephone interview, adding that that the military has taken over the area and search for the hoodlums is in top gear already.

“These are Tiv Militias that are attacking and it is not the first of its kind, all we need is peace,” he said.

“We have had sleepless nights all through, had peace meetings, thinking these attacks are over, but this is the situation we have found ourselves at the moment.

“I wish to appreciate the Army for their quick intervention without which I do not know what the casualty figure would have been by now and the level of destruction as well.”

This is the second time such an attack will take place since the Tiv-Jukun crisis subsided and a truce was reached last year.

Rafinkada community is about 30 kilometers from Wukari, the headquarters of Wukari local government area of Taraba.