WUKARI, TARABA — At least 17 persons have been killed and several others are missing after heavily armed terrorist ambushed a group of internally displaced persons (IDPs) returning to their homes in Tse Ajogo village, Wukari Local Government Area of Taraba State, early Wednesday morning. The attack, which erupted at about 6 a.m. on December 10, 2025, also left eight people injured and saw seven houses razed to the ground, community sources and eyewitnesses reported.
According to residents in the area, the gunmen launched a coordinated assault on the community — located approximately four kilometres from Rafin Kada town — opening fire indiscriminately on the returning IDPs who had only recently begun to rebuild their lives after prolonged displacement due to earlier violence. Several villagers are still unaccounted for following the attack.
Eyewitnesses and local leaders describe the assailants as heavily armed and highly mobile, executing the raid with precision that authorities fear will disrupt resettlement efforts in the already fragile security environment of rural Taraba. “They came and started shooting at anyone in sight,” one survivor recounted, revealing the scale of the chaos as villagers fled for safety.
This marks at least the second major attack on returning IDPs in Tse Ajogo in less than two months, underscoring persistent vulnerabilities that have plagued the community. Local security expert Zagazola Makama described the incident as a serious setback to peace and reconstruction efforts — raising alarm that militias intent on instigating fear and hindering resettlement remain active in the region.
Efforts are now underway by security forces to track and apprehend the perpetrators, with authorities urging increased vigilance across neighbouring communities. Troops have been called upon to intensify patrols along major routes and in vulnerable rural hubs to prevent further bloodshed and protect vulnerable populations attempting to return home.
Local leaders, particularly from the Tiv community, have appealed to residents to report suspicious movements to security agencies, even as families mourn the loss of loved ones and grapple with the trauma of yet another violent disruption to their quest for stability.
Source: Sahara Reporters