By Kayode Sanni-Arewa
Alhaji Abdulmutalib Jankada, traditional ruler of Sansani chiefdom in Gassol local government area of Taraba state, is dead.
He was killed by gunmen who invaded his palace on Thursday night.
According to witnesses, the assailants who rode into Sansani town on motorcycles, sneaked into the palace to gun down their target.
It was gathered that the gunmen went straight to a room where the Monarch was sitting and shot him severally, seizing his phones afterwards.
It was learnt that the monarch died on the spot, while the attack took palace guards and family members unaware.
Musa Sansani, a resident of Sansani town, said they heard sound gunshots but did not know the shots were from the palace.
The late chief told us Yesterday that he was traveling to Ibbi for Nwonyo fishing Festival which is taking place on Friday and Saturday. We never knew the Chief did not travel Yesterday evening so when we heard the gunshots, we did not suspect it was inside the palace,” he said.
He said the gunmen silently left the town after killing the monarch and it was his wife who found him dead inside his room that raised alarm which attracted the entire people in the town and other towns in the chiefdom.
“We are mourning and the late chief will be buried after Friday prayers,” he said.
The late chief was abducted along Jalingo-Wukari road two years ago and ransom was paid before his release.
The incident brings the number of traditional rulers killed by gunmen in the state to about seven in the last few years.
When contacted, Taraba Commissioner of Police, David lloyanomon, referred our reporter to the command’s public relations officer, SP Usman Abdullahi.
But Abdullahi revealed that he was sick and could not comment.