***Over 50 Killed in Fresh Onslaughts
By Ben Adaji, Jalingo
The Catholic Diocese of Wukari has issued a desperate SOS to the Federal Government as waves of deadly attacks by suspected herdsmen continue to ravage farming communities in Southern Taraba, leaving more than 50 people dead in just weeks and entire villages wiped out.
The alarm was raised in a strongly worded statement released Wednesday night after a three-day workshop on pastoral care for traumatized IDPs. The document—jointly signed by senior diocesan officials, Very Rev. Fr (Prof) Anthony Bature, Very Rev. Fr Simon Akuraga, and Rev. Fr Moses Angyian—paints a grim picture of three decades of unchecked violence.
According to the Diocese, over 3,000 people have been killed, 335 rural communities and churches destroyed, and more than 300,000 residents displaced, many of them widows, orphans, and children who now live in crowded camps without protection or basic support.
The clergy described the attackers as “marauding terrorists” armed with sophisticated weapons who invade villages, kill indiscriminately, destroy farmlands and homes, and then occupy the deserted communities.
Recent assaults have intensified across Ussa and Takum LGAs, with at least 30 killed in Ussa and more than 40 in Takum. Entire settlements—such as Kwanta, Dooshima, Tsejor, Agenga, Yongoba, Kapsitswa, Wakan, Kwabu I & II—were reportedly overrun, forcing families to flee through forests for safety.
Despite repeated Federal Government promises to end nationwide killings, the Diocese warned that attacks in Southern Taraba have only worsened, while security agencies often arrive long after the terrorists have disappeared into difficult terrain.
The Diocese urged the Federal, State, and Local Governments to act swiftly to halt the bloodshed, protect vulnerable communities, provide relief materials, and ensure treatment for the injured. They emphasized that peaceful farming communities must not be uprooted “just to feed cows.”
They also called on the Federal Government to be “open to help from wherever it can come” to end the killings.
Taraba State’s Commissioner of Police, CP Betty Otimenyin, confirmed the renewed attacks, acknowledging that the unpredictable nature of the assaults and the difficult terrain have complicated rapid response efforts. Unconfirmed reports suggest the Commandant of 6 Brigade, Nigerian Army, Gen. Kingsley Uwa, has issued stern warnings and promised decisive action.
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