Unending conflict: ´Bunkpurugu now a ghost town´

Bunkpurugu has become “a ghost town” following renewed gunshots in the area which has led to a halt in business activities forcing traders and town folk to flee for dear life.

Residents are now forced to seek refuge at the police station which was also been attacked because one of the feuding factions claims the police is shielding their opponents.

According to the District Chief Executive of Bunkprurugu, teachers in the town has fled, new teacher trainees posted to the town have refused to come because of the conflict and all business activities have ceased due to the conflict.

“The town now is more or less a ghost town, nobody is there. The businesses that were going on have all ceased and people are not working. So how do you go and take money from someone who is not working” said the DCE in an interview with TV3’s Northern regional correspondent Zubaida Ismail.

The nine year old family feud has left several people dead and property destroyed including burning of houses and motorbikes, farms etc. The DCE says this has forced even indigenes to run away from the town.

There has been reinforcement of police and security personnel in the town but they are having difficulty restoring calm in the community of Bunkpurugu.

The latest to the conflict which has been raging between the Jafok and the Jamong families is that two people have been killed, over 35 houses have been burnt and some two AK 47 rifles have been retrieved by the police.

On Saturday February 20, 2016, gunshots were heard in the town although a special police response team had been deployed to restore calm.

One Manan Sambian was arrested on Friday for leading the group that has been set houses on fire. He is currently in police custody waiting processing for court.