Catholic priests and community groups in Southern Taraba State have raised a serious alarm over a renewed wave of violence and killings, which they attribute to armed herdsmen. These alleged attacks are devastating communities under the Catholic Diocese of Wukari, prompting urgent calls for governmental intervention. Rev. Fr. John Laikel, Director of Social Communications for the diocese, speaking in Jalingo, depicted a dire situation where many rural parishes have been abandoned due to sustained assaults that have claimed numerous lives and obliterated entire villages.

Fr. Laikel expressed deep dismay, stating that attacks on innocent citizens persist despite repeated government promises to halt the bloodshed. He highlighted a concerning pattern, suggesting a “deliberate and calculated attempt by Fulani herdsmen to permanently take over these communities for grazing.” Many victims, he noted, are returnees who had only recently resettled after previous displacements. The allegations include not only killings and the burning of homes but also the grazing of cattle on victims' farmlands and, in some instances, the occupation of deserted settlements.

The diocese is urging federal, state, and local authorities to fulfill their constitutional responsibilities to protect lives and property. Fr. Laikel pointed out that some affected areas are disturbingly close to military operational bases in Takum Local Government Area, raising significant questions about the willingness and capability of security agencies to stop the ongoing carnage.

Echoing this frustration, Rev. Fr. George Dogo, Parish Priest of Holy Family Catholic Church, Takum, criticized what he called the “indifference” of security operatives. He recounted how alerts to security agencies often meet with complaints about a lack of personnel or fuel, while "innocent people are being killed daily, villages burned, and survivors left with horrific injuries," describing the situation as "heartbreaking disregard for human life."

In a related development, the Taraba Tiv Youth Development Forum has appealed to Governor Agbu Kefas to deploy additional security personnel to the Chanchanji Ward of Takum LGA to prevent further bloodshed. A joint statement by the forum’s President, Torkuma Lupet Moses, and Secretary, Uko Moses Wuaga, condemned the renewed attacks on Tiv farming communities, reporting the displacement of over 1,000 families and the destruction of properties worth millions of naira since violence resumed recently.

The forum has called on the state government to establish additional military outposts in the affected areas and provide emergency relief materials, including food, medical supplies, and shelter, for the displaced residents. Furthermore, they urged the government to arrest perpetrators and their sponsors to ensure justice and to facilitate a peace summit between Tiv and Fulani leaders to address lingering grievances. The group also appealed to the Federal Government and international partners to classify Taraba as a priority state under the National Livestock Transformation Plan (NLTP) to effectively curb recurring conflicts between herders and farmers.