Two soldiers have been confirmed dead following a renewed outbreak of violence between farmers and herders in Bandawa community, located in Karim-Lamido Local Government Area of Taraba State.
The deadly confrontation, which erupted early Wednesday morning, is the latest in a series of violent clashes destabilizing rural communities across the state.
According to eyewitnesses, the soldiers, deployed on a peacekeeping mission, were fatally caught in the crossfire between the warring factions.
“The fighting started early in the morning and escalated rapidly. In the process of trying to intervene, two soldiers lost their lives,” a local community leader told our correspondent.
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The violence has sparked widespread panic, with residents fleeing their homes in large numbers. Eyewitness reports also indicate that several houses and farmlands were set ablaze during the chaos.
Confirming the incident, Taraba State Police Command spokesperson, James Leshen, said that security forces had been deployed to the area to restore calm and prevent further violence.
“Security agencies have been mobilised to the community to contain the situation and prevent further loss of lives,” Leshen said. He noted that a full casualty assessment was still ongoing.
In reaction, Musa Garba, a youth leader in Karim-Lamido, described the loss of the soldiers as “a tragic reminder of the need for stronger government action.”
“Our people are tired of running from their ancestral homes. We need a lasting solution to these senseless killings,” he added.
The Human Rights Defenders Forum (HRDF), a civil society group based in Jalingo, also condemned the violence in a statement. The group urged both state and federal authorities to take decisive steps to halt what it described as a “rising cycle of violence turning rural Taraba into a killing field.”
Clashes between farmers and herders remain a recurring security challenge in Taraba State, particularly in local councils such as Karim-Lamido, Lau, Wukari, Bali, and Gassol. These conflicts are often driven by disputes over land ownership, grazing routes, and access to water.
Although the Nigerian Army is yet to release an official statement, the deaths of the soldiers were confirmed by acting spokesperson, Lieutenant Umar Mohammad.
