The Taraba State Government has confirmed the killing of the two wives and five children of the Chief of Mutum Biyu, HRH Sani Mohammed of the Gassol Local Government Area.
The victims were abducted on January 19 by gunmen in their residence in Jalingo, the state capital.
A press statement signed and issued by the state Commissioner for Information and Reorientation, Lois Emmanuel, condemned the murder in strong terms, describing the act as barbaric, ungodly and inhuman.
The government regretted that its sustained efforts to rid the state of kidnappers and other forms of banditry has been thwarted by the recent development.
The government reiterated its resolve to continue to ensure adequate protection of lives and property in the state.
It also vowed to enhance networking with security agencies in the state to bring to book perpetrators of such nefarious act.
The government condoled with the monarch and the people of Mutum-Biyu Chiefdom on the unfortunate incident and prayed God to repose the souls of the deceased and give the family the fortitude to bear the irreparable loss.
Also confirming the incident, the Police Public Relations Officer in the state, Abdullahi Usman, said one of the children escaped and is currently being attended to medically in an undisclosed health institution.
According to him, the corpses of the other victims were discovered in Daka village, a suburb of the Bali Local Government Area in the early hours of Saturday.