At least eight people have reportedly been killed by suspected herdsmen in Jenuwa Nyifiye community, in Takum local government area of Taraba State.
A traditional ruler, HRH Kwe Godson Danlami Wasa of Jenuwa Gida Nyifiye, who confirmed the incident to the Nigerian Tribune, stated that the attackers, numbering over 300, on Sunday, July 2, 2023, invaded the community located close to the Army 93 Ada barracks in Takum.
They killed eight people and set several houses on fire without facing any resistance from security forces.
Chief Danlami explained that the killer herdsmen attacked the Kuteb Community when most villagers had returned from their farms.
“The attackers numbered over 300, and our local vigilantes were unable to repel them due to the types of weapons they were using. This community is less than 2km away from the 93 Army Ada barracks in Takum, but the soldiers did not intervene in the situation,” he explained.
“Some of the victims were burnt beyond recognition. The attackers freely burned our houses without facing any challenge from the security forces.
“These same killer herdsmen had previously attacked and killed many people in the Mbiya, Tamiya, and Faenta communities on Sunday. The bandits have several camps within and around Takum town, operating freely without encountering any resistance. The communities being attacked belong to the Kuteb ethnic group.
“Between January 2022 and now, these bandits have killed over 200 of our people, with over 3,000 houses destroyed, and over 10,000 members of the Kuteb ethnic group displaced,” narrated the traditional ruler.
The traditional ruler appealed to the federal government and Governor Agbu Kefas to intensify efforts to end the unprovoked attacks and killings against the Kuteb people.
However, the Taraba State Police Command, through its spokesperson, DSP Usman Abdullahi, confirmed the incident but stated that only three people were killed in the attack.
