Fresh Fear in Nigeria as Residents Warn of Looming Armed Herdsmen Raid in Communities

Fresh Fear in Nigeria as Residents Warn of Looming Armed Herdsmen Raid in Communities

16th November 2025

Panic has once again gripped several communities in Chanchaji, Takum Local Government Area of Southern Taraba State, as residents raise the alarm over a suspected plot by armed herdsmen to launch renewed attacks following a series of deadly assaults.

Community members who spoke with Glintnews on Sunday described an atmosphere of fear and uncertainty as armed groups continue to unleash violence that has already claimed multiple lives and displaced entire villages.

According to locals, the latest killings appear to be part of an intensifying campaign of intimidation and land invasion that has escalated in recent weeks. One resident, who asked not to be named for security reasons, recounted how fast their community has collapsed under sustained attacks.

“As I write this, my village now exists only in our memories. Our people have been displaced, killed, and scattered,” he said.

The source added that despite global attention on insecurity—including recent remarks attributed to U.S. President Donald Trump—attacks by suspected herders have become even more vicious.

 “Our people are dying helplessly, and the governor is more focused on his defection plans than the lives being wasted every day,” he lamented.

Residents shared disturbing images from a recent invasion, insisting that such incidents occur “almost daily” without any decisive government response.

They accused political leaders—including Governor Agbu Kefas, the House of Representatives member for Ibi/Wukari, Hon. Ayuba Damper, and local government authorities—of maintaining troubling silence amid the ongoing bloodshed.

 “Our House of Reps member is silent, the senator is silent, the LGA chairman is silent, and the governor is busy with his defection. People just want to go to their farms to find food, but they are killed,” a distraught villager told Glintnews.

This renewed wave of violence aligns with earlier alerts issued on November 10 by priests of the Catholic Diocese of Wukari, who reported sustained attacks on Christian farming communities across Southern Taraba.

Rev. Fr. John Laikel, the Diocese’s Director of Social Communications, described the situation as “devastating,” revealing that several rural parishes have been abandoned after coordinated assaults that wiped out entire villages.

He alleged that attackers not only kill and burn homes but also graze their cattle on farmland belonging to victims and, in some cases, fully occupy deserted communities.

Fr. Laikel urged federal, state, and local authorities to “wake up to their constitutional responsibilities,” noting that some of the hardest-hit communities lie close to military operational zones in Takum.

Despite the widespread alarm, residents say there has been no visible official response from the state government or security agencies, deepening fears that more devastating attacks may be imminent.