A longstanding tension between farmers and herders in the Karim-Lamido Local Government Area of Taraba State has erupted into a bloody communal conflict, leaving at least 40 people dead and hundreds displaced in the last two weeks.
Security analyst and counter-insurgency expert Zagazola Makama disclosed the development via his X handle, citing intelligence sources that traced the origin of the violence to a land-related altercation that occurred on May 9.
According to Makama, the violence was triggered when Buhari Malamby, a young man from Bandawa community, confronted two Fulani herders whose cattle allegedly grazed into his farmland.
The encounter turned violent, and a group of youths from the area reportedly attacked the herders with machetes. Malamby was said to have lost his life in the fracas, sparking outrage among Bandawa residents.
In a retaliatory move, youths from Bandawa reportedly slaughtered several cattle in the surrounding bush, an act that provoked reprisal attacks by armed Fulani youths.
The first of such attacks reportedly targeted Bandawa, resulting in the deaths of two residents and injuries to another from nearby Munga Dasso.
“These initial skirmishes snowballed into a cycle of deadly attacks and counterattacks that continue to destabilize the region,” Makama stated.
In an effort to de-escalate tensions, security forces convened a peace meeting on May 15 and 16 with community leaders from Bandawa, Munga Dasso, Munga Lelau, and the Fulani settlements.
The meeting ended with a mutual agreement to sign a peace accord at a later date in Karim-Lamido town.
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However, hopes for peace were dashed when a youth from Munga Dasso was reportedly killed while heading to his farm near a Fulani settlement in Munga Lelau.
In retaliation, youths from the community stormed the settlement and killed four individuals.
The violence reached a critical point when Fulani militia, reportedly mobilizing from nearby areas, launched a coordinated assault on Munga Lelau.
Witnesses claim the attackers arrived on nearly 50 motorcycles, with up to three riders on each bike, unleashing widespread destruction.
In response, authorities imposed a dusk-to-dawn curfew across Bandawa, Munga Dasso, Munga Lelau, and neighboring communities in an attempt to restore order.
Though security personnel have been deployed and calm has reportedly returned, Makama noted that many residents remain gripped by fear.
Some have returned to their homes, while others remain in hiding, fearing further violence.
The Taraba State Government is yet to issue an official statement on the renewed violence.