pdate: Bodies of Missing Couple Found in Taraba, Search Continues for Child

 

From Godwin Agia, Jalingo 

No fewer than Four days after a bus was attacked where 7 persons were killed, the decomposing bodies of a pastor of an African Church and his wife were on Saturday found in the bush along Maraba Baisa in Donga local government area of Taraba state while their 13 months old baby is missing.

Pastor Kumator Jacob Aba was declared missing on Wednesday while he left his church in Bali, the headquarters of Bali local government area of Taraba state to attend a church congress in Donga on a motorcycle with his wife and 13-month-old baby.

While the pastor could not reach his destination, members of the African church became worried going by the happenings that travelers were been killed particularly those from the Tiv speaking ethnic on the Maraba Baisa Bali road.

The head of Tiv traditional rulers in Taraba state and Ter Bali Chief David Gbaa while speaking with our correspondent, said the body of the pastor was found in the bush near Maraba Baisa while the youths and security were conducting a search to know where the pastor and his family were. 

He said when the bodies were found, they invited the police for proper records and documentation before it was evacuated to the Mortuary. 

"Pastor Jacob Abba is the pastor of the African Church at Adi Parish in Bali, he left Bali on Wednesday to attend his church congress in Donga, but he could not reach the destination and he did not come back home for over three days.

"All the pastors of the parish were worried, all the Tiv community was worried because of the level of killings going on within the Maraba area, we embarked on a search and Saturday 16th of March, we found his decomposing body and his wife in the bush.

"His 13-year-old baby is missing, and the motorcycle they used for the trip is also nowhere to be found, we were accompanied to the scene by the police to evacuate the bodies. Gbaa stated.

The commissioner of police in Taraba state David Iloyonomon did not respond when contacted over the incident, though, Taraba state governor Dr. Agbu Kefas had since ordered for arrest and prosecution of those behind the Donga killings.