Jukun-Tiv clash: Gunmen attack Taraba village, burn homes, farmlands

Suspected Jukun militias launched a fresh attack on Dekeh Village along the Wukari–Kente Road in Taraba State, setting fire to at least 15 huts and injuring one resident in a renewed surge of ethnic violence between the Jukun and Tiv communities.

Security sources told Zagazola Makama that the assault occurred around 1:00 a.m. on Tuesday. About six armed men stormed the village, shooting sporadically and triggering widespread panic as residents fled for safety.

The attackers also torched food supplies, including yam seedlings, further devastating the community’s livelihood.

One resident, identified as Mdue Saaondo, sustained gunshot wounds and was rescued by a joint team of police and military operatives. He is currently receiving treatment at the Federal University Teaching Hospital in Wukari.

Authorities say investigations are underway to identify and apprehend those behind the attack. In response, a high-level security meeting with the Wukari Local Government Traditional Council has been scheduled to promote peace between the Tiv and Jukun groups, whose decades-long conflict is rooted in land and territorial disputes.

“Security patrols and monitoring have been intensified in the area to prevent further violence,” police assured.

The incident is the latest in a troubling pattern of ethnic clashes that continue to plague communities in southern Taraba State.