TARABA, Nigeria — At least seven people have been killed, 186 livestock lost and more than 340 homes destroyed in a fresh clash between Mambilla residents and Fulani pastoralists in Sardauna Local Government Area of Taraba State.
The violence, which occurred in Geroji settlements of Mbamnga Ward, also displaced more than 1,000 residents, with some fleeing across the border into neighbouring Cameroon, reports Daily Trust.
Residents and community leaders, however, said the death toll could be higher, as several people were still missing.
The clash reportedly erupted on the night of September 18 following a dispute between a Mambilla woman and a Fulani man before spreading to Geroji and Mbara communities and several surrounding settlements, including Wuro Buba, Wuro Ardo Bashiru, Wuro Wakili Idrisa, Wuro Saleh Petel, Wuro Hassan Jaji, Wuro Alhaji Jibo, Wuro Alhaji Manu and Wuro Mbarkal.
A community leader, Ardo Bashiru, said the destruction had left affected families facing a severe humanitarian crisis.
“We have lost everything. Our houses were burnt, our livestock – cattle, sheep and horses – were either dead or stolen. With the rainy season at its peak, we are facing a humanitarian crisis. We have no shelter, no food and no means of survival,” he said.
Another source, who requested anonymity, said hundreds of residents, including women and children, fled the affected settlements and crossed into Nyang in Cameroon’s Donga-Mantung Division.
He alleged that armed men entered one of the communities, opened fire on residents and set several structures ablaze.
The Chairman of Sardauna LGA, Alhaji Mohammed Umar, confirmed that many residents had fled the area, saying arrangements were being made to facilitate their return.
Umar also said security forces had been fully deployed to the affected communities.
“This unfortunate incident started from a personal dispute that spiralled out of control. Anyone who threatens the peace that our communities have enjoyed for decades will face the full force of the law,” he said.
He said the state government had mobilised additional troops and police personnel to prevent further escalation, while appealing to the Federal Government, humanitarian organisations and the international community to assist with the resettlement, rehabilitation and reintegration of victims.
The Chief of Mbamnga, Alhaji Abubakar Saleh, also appealed for calm, describing the affected communities as people who had lived together for generations.
“We are brothers and sisters who have lived together for generations. This is the first time such a tragedy would strike our land. All hands are on deck to ensure it never happens again,” he said.
A public affairs analyst, Alhaji Ahmadu Ibrahim of the Department of Sociology, Yobe State University, said the loss of 186 livestock had compounded the hardship facing the predominantly agrarian population.
He urged the government to intervene quickly to prevent the violence from worsening the insecurity already affecting the state and the wider region.
Police, Army deploy joint team
The Taraba State Police Command and the Nigerian Army have deployed a joint security team to assess the extent of the destruction and restore normalcy in the affected communities.
The police said Commissioner of Police Edwin Ogbeghagha, alongside the Army Brigade Commander and other security personnel, conducted an on-the-spot assessment of the affected areas and met with relevant stakeholders.
According to the command, discussions focused on strengthening security operations, intelligence gathering and the protection of lives and property.
The police said additional personnel and a police helicopter had also been deployed for enhanced aerial surveillance in line with the directive of Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Rilwan Disu.
Ogbeghagha urged residents to remain calm and provide credible information that could assist security agencies in identifying and arresting those responsible for the violence.
SEMA sends relief materials
The Executive Secretary of the Taraba State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), Echuseh Audu, said the agency had dispatched humanitarian assistance comprising food, medical supplies and temporary shelter for affected families.
Governor orders arrests, postpones Tourism Day
Taraba State Governor, Agbu Kefas, has ordered security agencies to arrest and prosecute those responsible for the violence, regardless of their social or political standing.
In a statement issued by the Office of the Secretary to the State Government, Chief Gebon Timothy Kataps, the governor said the masterminds and perpetrators of the violence must be brought to justice.
“All perpetrators of this dastardly act, no matter how highly placed, must be fished out, arrested and prosecuted in accordance with the laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria,” Kefas said.
The governor described the violence as a setback to peace and unity in the state and ordered the postponement of the Taraba Tourism Day celebration scheduled to take place in Gembu, the headquarters of Sardauna LGA.
The event has been postponed indefinitely pending the restoration of peace.
Former envoy, stakeholders appeal for peace
Former Nigerian Ambassador to Trinidad and Tobago, Hassan Jika Ardo, urged Mambillas, Fulanis, Kakas, Pansos and other ethnic groups on the Mambilla Plateau to end hostilities and work towards restoring peace.
Ardo said the region had suffered enough from previous episodes of violence and destruction.
He also commended residents of Mbar for reportedly protecting Fulani residents from attackers during the crisis, describing the gesture as evidence that peaceful coexistence remained possible.
Similarly, the Sardauna Local Government Stakeholders Forum appealed to residents to exercise restraint and avoid actions or statements capable of escalating tensions.
The forum, chaired by Kataps, urged traditional rulers, religious leaders, parents and youth leaders to promote dialogue and help prevent further violence.
Analysts blame unresolved land, grazing disputes
Former diplomat and columnist Ilyasu Gadu said the recurring violence on the Mambilla Plateau was rooted in unresolved disputes over land, grazing rights and the competing interests of farmers and pastoralists.
Gadu said similar crises had occurred repeatedly over the years because the underlying issues had not been permanently resolved.
He cited previous outbreaks of violence in 2007, 2012 and 2017, arguing that temporary security interventions had failed to address the fundamental disputes.
According to him, governments at the local, state and federal levels need to address the rights of both farmers and herders and ensure that those responsible for violence are prosecuted.
Another commentator from the Mambilla Plateau, Jamilu Muhammad, identified impunity, unemployment, poor education and the wider farmer-herder crisis as contributing factors.
Muhammad said the problem extended beyond Nigeria’s borders, affecting parts of Cameroon and the Central African Republic, and therefore required cooperation among governments in the region.
He also referred to a 2024 ECOWAS Court judgment concerning victims of the 2017 Mambilla violence, alleging that key aspects of the judgment, including resettlement, compensation and investigation, had not been implemented.
The latest violence has renewed concerns over the long-running insecurity on the Mambilla Plateau, with displaced residents awaiting improved security and the restoration of their communities.
