[PUNCHNG] Taraba State Police Command has said 25 persons were killed and several others injured in a bloody clash between Shomo and Jole ethnic groups in Lau Local Government Area of Taraba State.| Taraba is a state in North Eastern Nigeria, named after the Taraba River. |
Although the police spokesperson could not immediately ascertain the cause of the conflict, reliable sources from the area said that disagreement over the ownership of some ancestral fish ponds was the cause of the conflict between the two fishing communities.
"The Commissioner of Police, Mr Ahmed Azare, has stationed patrol teams on ground already and the situation has been brought under control," the Police spokesperson said.
The conflicts between Shomo and Jole had been lingering for decades over claims and counterclaims of ownership of disputed fish ponds.
The government had banned fishing activities in the disputed ponds for a period of 10 years but as soon as the ban was lifted in 1999, the communities resumed conflicts.