|By Adejumo Adekunle
Renewed violence has engulfed communities in Southern Taraba State, as Catholic priests and community groups decry relentless attacks and killings allegedly carried out by armed herdsmen across areas under the Catholic Diocese of Wukari.
Speaking on Monday in Jalingo, the Director of Social Communications for the diocese, Rev. Fr. John Laikel, described the situation as “devastating,” revealing that several rural parishes have been deserted following sustained assaults that wiped out entire villages and claimed multiple lives.
“It is disheartening that attacks on innocent citizens keep happening despite government promises to stop the killings,” Fr. Laikel lamented.
He accused the assailants of executing a calculated plan to seize ancestral lands for grazing. “Most victims are returnees who had only recently resettled after earlier displacements,” he said, adding that the attackers not only kill and burn homes but also graze cattle on victims’ farmlands and, in some cases, occupy the deserted communities.
Fr. Laikel urged federal, state, and local authorities to “wake up to their constitutional responsibilities” of protecting lives and property, expressing concern that some affected villages lie close to military operational bases in Takum Local Government Area.
“This raises serious concern about the willingness and capability of security agencies to stop the ongoing carnage,” he stressed.
Similarly, Rev. Fr. George Dogo, Parish Priest of Holy Family Catholic Church, Takum, voiced frustration over what he called the “indifference” of security operatives despite repeated warnings about impending attacks.
“When we alert security agencies, they often complain about a lack of personnel or fuel,” Fr. Dogo said. “Meanwhile, innocent people are being killed daily, villages burned, and survivors left with horrific injuries. It’s heartbreaking to see such disregard for human life.”
In a related development, the Taraba Tiv Youth Development Forum called on Governor Agbu Kefas to deploy additional security personnel to the Chanchanji Ward of Takum LGA to forestall further bloodshed.
In a joint statement signed by the forum’s President, Torkuma Lupet Moses, and Secretary, Uko Moses Wuaga, the group condemned the renewed attacks on Tiv farming communities, revealing that over 1,000 families have been displaced and properties worth millions of naira destroyed since violence resumed last week.
The forum demanded the establishment of more military outposts in the crisis-prone areas and the provision of emergency relief materials — including food, medical supplies, and shelter — for displaced residents.
“We also call on the government to arrest the perpetrators and their sponsors to face justice,” the statement read. “Governor Agbu Kefas should facilitate a peace summit between Tiv and Fulani leaders to address lingering grievances.”
The group further appealed to the Federal Government and international partners to classify Taraba as a priority state under the National Livestock Transformation Plan (NLTP) to curb the recurring herder-farmer conflicts that have plagued the region for years.
