Priests of the Catholic Diocese of Wukari in Taraba State have raised the alarm regarding a worsening humanitarian crisis in the southern part of the state, revealing that over 90,000 people have been displaced and several killed in a wave of sustained attacks.
The clergy staged a protest against the unabating violence, killings, and destruction of communities across the southern zone, particularly in areas under the diocese.
Speaking shortly after the protest, Vicar Pastoral of the diocese, Very Rev. Father James Yaropay, highlighted the scale of devastation, stating that thousands have been left homeless and entire communities reduced to ruins.
“It has become expedient for us as a diocese to carry out this solidarity walk and to address you, Gentlemen of the Press, on the lingering and heartbreaking carnage that has been going on in Wukari Diocese, particularly Chanchanji Ward of Takum Local Government Area, and parts of Ussa and Donga Local Government Areas in Southern Taraba since September 2025,” he said.
According to Father Yaropay, more than 80 people have been killed so far, while several others have sustained varying degrees of injury. Furthermore, he reported that over 200 communities and churches have been destroyed, displacing more than 90,000 Catholics from their ancestral homes.
The priests alleged that the attackers had taken over the farmlands belonging to affected farmers, exacerbating food insecurity and economic hardship in the region. They claimed the suspected militias typically strike in the early hours, invading communities while residents are asleep, killing victims and setting houses and harvested crops ablaze.
Following the protest, the priests demanded immediate government intervention, emphasizing that “as a matter of urgency, adequate security personnel should be mobilised and deployed to the hinterlands where this carnage is taking place unabated.” They also urged authorities to ensure accountability for those responsible for the violence, stating, “The government at all levels must be deliberate in ensuring security guarantees and bringing enablers and perpetrators of these dastardly acts or heinous crimes against humanity to justice through their immediate arrest and prosecution, irrespective of their ethnic, political, and religious affiliations.”
Additionally, the clergy drew attention to the dire conditions of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs), stressing the urgent need for humanitarian assistance. “The urgent needs of the IDPs include, among other things, relief materials such as foodstuffs, beddings, toiletries, medical health care, and temporary tents in order to guarantee their overall well-being and avert a major humanitarian disaster,” they stated.
Earlier, SaharaReporters reported that residents of several communities in Taraba State accused the state government and security agencies of abandoning them to armed attackers after numerous individuals were killed in sustained assaults on Tiv Christian settlements in the Chanchanji district of Takum Local Government Area. Community elders and religious leaders conveyed to SaharaReporters that suspected Fulani militia have effectively taken over many villages, forcing survivors to flee and occupy homes and farmlands while destroying churches and other properties.
Rev. Dr. Micah Philip Dopah, a community elder and official of the Northern Christians Religious Leaders Assembly (NOCRELA), emphasised that repeated appeals to authorities have yielded no response: “The issue has been ongoing for long. But the government is not doing anything. People are being killed daily without any help. We have written several pleas to the government, but there has been no response,” he said.
Another community elder described the situation as dire, stating that attacks have persisted for about two years but have escalated dramatically in recent weeks.
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