Fresh violence has erupted in Taraba State, where terrorists have launched renewed attacks on Tiv communities in Takum Local Government Area. Residents report ongoing killings and the recovery of multiple corpses.
One distressed resident told SaharaReporters on Tuesday evening that the assaults were still underway at the time of filing this report.
Killings are ongoing now in the Tiv community in Takum LGA. It is serious killing. Dozens of people died and about six corpses have been recovered as I speak to you,” the resident said.
Another source accused the state government of indifference, describing the attacks as targeted and deliberate.
“People are mounting at Takum Local Government. The governor doesn’t care. It’s targeted genocide. Only the media can help these people,” the source added.
Pictures obtained by SaharaReporters show victims of the attacks lying lifeless, underscoring the scale of the violence sweeping through the communities.
The latest assault comes amid sustained attacks on Tiv Christian settlements in Chanchanji district of Takum LGA, where residents have repeatedly accused the Taraba State Government and security agencies of abandoning them to armed assailants.
As earlier reported by SaharaReporters, more than 100 people were killed within one month in coordinated attacks on Tiv communities, with survivors forced to flee as their homes, farmlands and churches were taken over or destroyed.
A community elder and official of the Northern Christians Religious Leaders Assembly (NOCRELA), Rev. Dr. Amb. Micah Philip Dopah, had earlier lamented the government’s failure to act despite repeated appeals.
“The issue has been on for long. But government is not doing anything. People are being killed daily without any helps. We have written several pleas to the government but no response,” Dopah said.
Another elder told SaharaReporters that the violence, which began about two years ago, had escalated sharply in recent weeks, leaving entire communities displaced and livelihoods destroyed.
NOCRELA has described the attacks as coordinated and targeted, disclosing that at least 102 people were killed within 33 days in multiple assaults on Tiv settlements in Chanchanji district.
The group accused suspected Fulani militia of carrying out the attacks and faulted security agencies for failing to intervene despite repeated distress calls and warnings.