Residents across eight rural settlements within the Karim-Lamido Local Government Area of Taraba State are confronting severe security challenges, with criminal syndicates allegedly regulating civilian access, looting properties, and silencing potential informants. The impacted villages—namely Kommodoro, Telejugu, Paskari, Farin- Ruwa, Dinya, Jamaga, Macijin Kirya, and Chibi—are situated along the volatile Nigeria inter-state borders connecting Taraba, Plateau, and Bauchi states.
Local leadership brought these developments to light through Hon. Tanko Bobbo, a prominent community figure who explained that persistent intimidation has severely hampered the ability of locals to reach out for formal protection. According to Bobbo, out of 15 individuals recently abducted in the zone, 10 have managed to return, though details regarding their freedom remain undisclosed.
Where do the armed groups operate from?
Bobbo stated that the assailants maintain hideouts within forested terrain inside Plateau State, utilizing these remote camps as launchpads for incursions into Taraba settlements before retreating across state lines. Their operations reportedly involve carting away harvested agricultural yields, ransacking commercial establishments, and subjecting villagers to constant psychological distress.
Furthermore, the community leader claimed that women in the troubled zones have faced sexual violence at the hands of the intruders. Local inhabitants have been strictly forbidden from disclosing insurgent movements to law enforcement agencies, with warnings that anyone suspected of collaboration or leaking intelligence will face summary execution.
How are ongoing attacks affecting farmers?
Violence continued to plague the region when a farmer sustained gunshot injuries while heading to his fields located between Jebjeb and Kampani, a village sitting near the Taraba-Plateau demarcation. In a separate incident around 9:00 a.m. on the same day, another farmer suffered severe machete wounds to his hand during an assault.
While acknowledging interventions by the Taraba State Government—including the engagement of local hunters, logistical support, and the deployment of security personnel to vulnerable frontier zones—Bobbo noted that authorities are actively pursuing joint security strategies with neighboring states to flush out the criminal networks from their woodland enclaves.
Despite these testimonies, law enforcement officials have noted a reporting gap. The Public Relations Officer for the Nigeria Police Force in Taraba State, ASP Victor Mshelizah, indicated that the Divisional Police Officer stationed in Karim-Lamido had not received official logs regarding the specific incidents at the time inquiries were made.