At least 10 persons have been killed in a violent clash involving two tribes in Taraba State, SaharaReporters has learnt.

The violence erupted over an alleged imposition of a Wurkum tribesman as “Garkuwan Karim” (the Second Class king of Karim) on the Karimjo speaking people of Karimlamido, in the Karimlamido Local Government Area of the state.

A resident of the area who spoke to SaharaReporters said the crisis started around 7pm when Wurkum youths clashed with Karimjo youths, shortly after the new king returned from Jalingo, the state capital.

He also claimed that the Nigerian soldiers drafted to the area had provided cover to Wurkum vigilantes to kill and maim the rival Karimjo youths.

“Some vigilante guys fired life ammunition at Karimjo protesters at a neighborhood called Step-two, killing three young men instantly.

“In retaliation, angry Karimjo youths advanced into Wurkum villages of Balasa and Gamji and burnt down some houses.

“Surprisingly troops of the Nigerian army drafted to maintain peace, appeared to have taken sides, because this morning they aided Wurkum fighters to kill seven Karimjo youths. Right now there are ten corpses on ground.

“They killed the Karimjo traditional Lahwah worship chief priest and decapitated his head,” the resident said.

When contacted, the spokesperson for the military in Taraba command, who simply gave his name as Lieutenant O’oni, denied that the military were taking sides.

“The Nigerian military is not a tribal institution, there’s no way we can take sides as claimed; our duty there is to maintain peace,” O’oni said.