Community leaders in Bissaula Ward, Kurmi Local Government Area of Taraba State, have raised concerns over a fresh outbreak of violence in the area, urging the state government to immediately deploy security personnel to prevent further attacks.
Speaking over the weekend in Jalingo, former Kurmi council chairman Stephen Agya and Alhaji Idi Ismail described the recent incidents as a setback to ongoing peace initiatives aimed at ending long-standing hostilities between the Ichen and Ndaka-Chamba ethnic groups.
The leaders recalled that the conflict dates back to December 6, 2021, when suspected Ndaka-Chamba militia attacked Bissaula, killing several residents and destroying property valued at millions of naira.
Since then, the community has endured repeated attacks despite multiple peace interventions.
Over the years, government authorities, community groups, and individuals have launched various reconciliation efforts. Former Governor Dahiru Ishaku established a Commission of Inquiry to investigate the causes of the conflict and recommend lasting solutions.
Peace efforts continued under the administration of Governor Agbu Kefas, who convened a peace meeting in Bissaula last year, resulting in a signed accord committing both parties to peaceful coexistence.
To reinforce the agreement, the governor dispatched security personnel and government officials to Bissaula in December last year to assess damages and facilitate the return of displaced residents.
The Ichen Traditional Council also held a reconciliation meeting where both sides reportedly agreed to embrace peace, encouraging residents to rebuild their homes.
However, the community leaders said the fragile calm was shattered on November 19, 2025, when suspected Ndaka-Chamba militia launched a nighttime attack.
They fired sporadically, targeting Baba U. Gambo, a former youth leader and current commander of the Taraba Marshal in Kurmi LGA. Gambo, who was seated outside with another resident, Kefas Hassan Bui, was reportedly chased and shot multiple times, sustaining serious injuries. Bui escaped unhurt, while Gambo is receiving medical treatment.
Agya and Ismail questioned whether genuine peace had returned to Bissaula and warned that without urgent intervention, the tenuous calm could collapse.
They appealed to Governor Kefas to deploy a permanent security team to the ward and called on civic and religious groups to intensify peace awareness campaigns, particularly among the Ndaka-Chamba community.
Reaffirming their commitment to harmony, the Ichen leaders said, “We are ready to embrace peace. We call on all and sundry to do the same so that we can live together peacefully, as before.”