Suspected herders ambush farmers in Taraba, kill two IDPs
Suspected Armed Herders Attack Farmers in Taraba State
DONGA, Taraba State — In a tragic incident that occurred just days after a meeting aimed at addressing insecurity in border communities, suspected armed herders ambushed farmers in the Donga Local Government Area of Taraba State, resulting in two fatalities and several injuries.
The attack took place on Monday in the Tse-Ukwe community, a region situated between Takum and Wukari, recently visited by the governors of Taraba and Benue states during an assessment of internally displaced persons (IDP) camps.
According to local sources, the victims were farmers displaced by ongoing violence and had sought refuge at the Tor-Damsa IDP camp. Zaki Ugondu Uma, the Ter-Donga, or traditional ruler of the Tiv people in Donga, confirmed that the two deceased were ambushed while returning from their farmlands.
“The two individuals killed on March 9, 2026, were IDPs who had been previously uprooted by the same attackers. They went to collect food items from their farms and were ambushed on their return,” Uma stated.
The victims were identified as 32-year-old Boniface Aondowase and 35-year-old Aondoakuea Adi, both residents of Tse-Kur village in the same local government area. Multiple farmers who managed to escape reported varying degrees of injury and claimed they recognized their attackers as Fulani herders.
Following the incident, military personnel arrived at the scene, recovering the bodies for burial, which took place later that evening.
Uma urged government officials and security agencies to intervene promptly, expressing concerns over the safety of those at the IDP camp. “We hear rumors of potential further attacks. Our community has already been devastated, and those who have sought refuge here continue to live in fear,” he lamented.
The meeting held by Taraba Governor Dr. Agbu Kefas and his Benue counterpart, Hyacinth Alia, on March 2, 2026, aimed to discuss the security challenges along the Benue–Taraba border. The governors pledged to enhance cooperation between the states through intelligence sharing and coordinated efforts to apprehend those responsible for the violence.
As of press time, attempts to obtain an official comment from local police regarding the incident were unsuccessful.
