Catholic Priests Cry Out as Fulani Herdsmen Launch Fresh Attacks in Southern Taraba — Christians Butchered, Churches and Villages Burnt Down

• Catholic priests under the Diocese of Wukari have raised alarm over renewed waves of deadly attacks by armed Fulani herdsmen in Southern Taraba, leaving scores dead, villages razed, and thousands displaced.

Catholic priests serving in parishes under the Diocese of Wukari, Taraba State, have cried out over a new wave of deadly attacks and large-scale destruction allegedly carried out by armed Fulani herdsmen in the southern part of the state.

Speaking to reporters, Rev. Fr. John Laikei, Director of Social Communications for the Diocese, said entire communities have been abandoned as herdsmen unleashed terror on locals, killing several people and razing settlements.

“It is disheartening that attacks on innocent citizens keep happening despite government promises to stop the killings,” Fr. Laikei lamented.

“The pattern of these attacks shows a deliberate attempt to permanently take over communities for grazing. What is worse is that many of those being attacked are returnees who had previously fled similar assaults.”

He added that the herdsmen not only destroy homes and farmland but also graze their cattle on the victims’ fields, and in some cases, occupy their deserted villages.

“The closeness of some of these attacked communities to military bases in Takum raises serious questions about the willingness and capability of security agencies to protect lives,” he said.

Another cleric, Rev. Fr. George Dogo, of the Holy Family Parish in Takum, confirmed that the priests had earlier alerted security agencies about possible attacks, yet little was done to prevent them.

“Sometimes, security personnel tell us they lack numbers or fuel to respond. Meanwhile, people are being slaughtered daily, and villages are burnt down. It’s heartbreaking,” he said.

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In the wake of the escalating crisis, the Taraba Tiv Youth Development Forum (TTYDF) called on Governor Agbu Kefas to deploy additional security forces to the Chanchanji Ward of Takum Local Government Area, where the violence has intensified.

In a statement signed by Comrade Torkuma Luper Moses (President) and Uko Moses Wuaga (Secretary), the youth group condemned the killings and displacement of more than a thousand families, with properties worth millions of naira destroyed.

The group urged the state government to provide emergency relief, food, and medical support to displaced persons, and called for the establishment of more military outposts to secure vulnerable communities.

“We urge the government to arrest and prosecute the perpetrators and their sponsors, while facilitating a peace summit between Tiv and Fulani leaders to resolve lingering tensions,” the statement read.

“We also appeal to the Federal Government and international bodies to classify Taraba as a priority state under the National Livestock Transformation Plan (NLTP) to address the root causes of herder-farmer conflicts.”

Villages reported destroyed include Tse Uhembe, Tse Ugbaa, Yongogba, Gidin, Tse Adam, Tornyi, Unom, Sati Agia, Iorbume, Apiita, New Gboko, and several others.

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