Criminal gangs suspected to be bandits have established a stranglehold over eight settlements situated within the Karim-Lamido Local Government Area of Taraba State, heavily curtailing the movement of local inhabitants. The affected agrarian areas—namely Kommodoro, Telejugu, Paskari, Farin-Ruwa, Dinya, Jamaga, Macijin Kirya, and Chibi—share porous geographic borders with Plateau and Bauchi states.
Providing details on the security situation, a prominent grassroots mobiliser and community leader, Tanko Bobbo, disclosed that the continuous incursions by armed groups have generated widespread panic and left citizens vulnerable. He confirmed that out of fifteen persons recently abducted from the locality, ten individuals have successfully secured their release, though details surrounding their freedom remain unconfirmed.
What is the nature of the attacks faced by residents?
According to local reports, the armed syndicates coordinate their operations from hidden camps located within forested terrain inside neighbouring Plateau State. Perpetrators frequently raid local settlements, carting away farm harvests, plundering market stalls, and terrorising non-combatants. Furthermore, community representatives alleged that the criminals have committed acts of sexual violence against women and issued death threats to anyone suspected of leaking information to security forces.
This climate of intimidation has drastically reduced reportage of criminal incidents to law enforcement. Tensions escalated further following separate assaults on two farmers near the Taraba-Plateau boundary. One victim sustained gunshot wounds while heading to his farmland between Jebjeb and Kampani, while another farmer suffered severe machete cuts during a separate encounter around 9 a.m. on the same day.
What measures are being taken by authorities?
In response to the escalating crisis, local stakeholders have acknowledged the proactive steps taken by the state administration, which include deploying local vigilantes, supplying operational logistics, and directing security personnel to safeguard vulnerable frontier zones. Officials are equally pursuing inter-state security collaborations to flush out criminal elements from their forest hideouts.
Meanwhile, the Nigeria Police Force command in Taraba State stated that formal verification of the latest incidents was still underway. The command's Public Relations Officer, Victor Mshelizah, noted that efforts were being made to contact the Divisional Police Officer in Karim- Lamido to ascertain the facts surrounding the reported incursions.