By RismadarVoice Media
January 2, 2026
Sustained attacks by suspected armed herdsmen have forced mass displacement, claimed dozens of lives, left farmlands abandoned across Tiv communities in Chanchanji Ward of Takum Local Government Area, Taraba State, residents and community leaders have said.
The latest escalation of violence occurred near Avande village in the Kufai Ahmadu axis, where security sources confirmed that three soldiers were killed in an ambush, while responding to distress calls from affected communities.
Residents told newsmen that the attacks, which began about two months ago as sporadic clashes, have intensified into repeated raids on villages, farmlands, resulting in killings, arson and widespread displacement.
“If soldiers sent to protect us were killed, then we are completely exposed,” said Nongonen Terngu, a displaced farmer. “We no longer farm; we are only seeking to survive.”
The crisis was formally raised at the Taraba State House of Assembly when the member representing Takum I State Constituency, Abubakar Tanko Yusuf, drew lawmakers’ attention to the killings during plenary. He described the attacks as barbaric, warned that continued inaction could destabilize Takum and neighbouring areas.
Tanko called on security agencies to urgently investigate the incidents, arrest the perpetrators and ensure their prosecution, while also urging strengthened security deployment, intelligence gathering and engagement at the grassroots level.
During a thanksgiving Mass in Taraba State, the Catholic Bishop of Wukari Diocese, Mark Maigida Nzukwein alleged that more than 70 people had been killed in violent attacks across Ussa and Takum Local Government Areas in the past three months, with Chanchanji Ward worst affected.
According to the Bishop, the attacks have led to the destruction of homes, farmlands and the displacement of residents in over 200 villages.
He further claimed that over the past three decades, violence in Southern Taraba had resulted in the destruction of more than 335 rural communities and churches, displacing over 300,000 people.
“These are not just numbers. They are lives, families and communities being wiped away quietly,” Nzukwein said.
Community leaders corroborated the scale of destruction, stating that at least 95 communities in Chanchanji Ward alone have been affected.
Villages including Unom, Adu, Facii, Atogbenda, New Gboko, Akwaya, Gberugo, Demava, Avande, Tse Peeki, Tse Karmal, Tse Akanyi, Tse Ugbãa, Kwanta, Wambe, Wantsar, Ayiase, Vendagoor, Kumun, Virgir and Dooshiman were listed among those impacted by killings, arson and displacement.
Women, children have fled to neighbouring communities, while local markets have slowed, farmlands remain idle.
Religious leaders argue that the victims are predominantly Christian farming communities, heightening fears of targeted persecution, a concern that mirrors recent international discourse on violence in Nigeria’s Middle Belt.
When contacted, the Taraba State Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Victor Mshelizah, confirmed the deployment of security personnel to the area.
“Security personnel have been deployed to restore peace. We are doing everything to keep every part of Taraba safe,” he said.
Despite the assurances, residents insist that security remains inadequate, have appealed for urgent intervention by the Federal Government and humanitarian organisztions.
As tension persists in Chanchanji Ward, community leaders warn that without decisive action, the area risks becoming another symbol of Nigeria’s protracted Middle Belt crisis, marked by recurring violence, displacement and deepening humanitarian concerns.
