48 Christians Gunned Down in Taraba State, Nigeria
- TruthNigeria
- 17 hours ago
- 4 min read
48 Christians Gunned Down in Taraba State Nigeria.
Residents Charge Military Complicity
TruthNigeria
December 5, 2025
Community leaders in Takum Holding a meeting with religious cleric telling explain the situation of things. Photo by TruthNigeria.
Village Heads Bribe Soldiers with Cash, Fuel and Food to No Avail
Southern Taraba is reeling from a wave of deadly attacks that have left more than 48 Christians killed and hundreds of homes reduced to ashes. Entire communities are fleeing as residents, and religious leaders accuse the Nigerian military of standing by—or even enabling—Fulani terrorists who now operate openly across Takum County.
Community leaders who spoke to TruthNigeria lamented that despite repeated distress calls, soldiers either arrive late, ignore calls entirely, or respond with indifference. Their inaction, residents say, has emboldened Fulani ethnic militants who continue to kill, burn homes, and seize farmlands with little interference. [The militants linked to the Fulani tribe, claiming 10 million members, have been identified as Nigeria’s deadliest home-grown insurgency.]
Fr. George Dogo. Photo by Mike Odeh James.
Fr. George Dogo of Holy Family Cathedral, Takum, said the pattern of military behavior suggests military complicity.
“The military have not killed any Fulani terrorists in Takum, Gboko, Igbum, Demave, Peeva, and yet the terrorists are attacking, killing and burning openly,” he said. “When my parishioners report ongoing or impending attacks, the military may not show at all. And if they come, they ask what kind of guns the terrorists are carrying—and afterwards disappear.”
His account mirrors dozens of testimonies across the region.
Fidelia Jeremiah, a student and farmer from Igbum village, recounted the night of November 29, 2025, when more than 30 armed Fulani attackers stormed the community.
“We made calls to the Nigerian military, but the personnel refused to pick. Later they switched off their phones,” she said. Her uncle was murdered that night. “I hold the military responsible.”
Community leader Rikwensi Muri pleaded on FB for local elected leaders to condemn the burning of houses in Takum and demanded that Nigerian army deploy units to push back the terrorists. He posted on Wednesday Dec. 3 the following demand:
1. Immediate and sustained deployment of security personnel to vulnerable communities in Chanchanji, Peva axis, and surrounding areas.
2. A transparent investigation into the attacks, ensuring that perpetrators—whoever they are—are identified and brought to justice.
3. Public briefings and engagement from our political leaders, who must show solidarity with affected families and demand federal attention.
The Nigerian Army, on the other hand, reports that in the last week troops in the same vicinity have “smashed bandit strongholds in Southern Taraba and forced fighters to flee.”
The army press release of Dec. 4 went on to say: “Nigerian troops have dismantled multiple bandit hideouts in Southern Taraba, pushing fleeing fighters across the border into Benue State, military sources confirmed Thursday. “The offensive, part of Operation Peace Shield and Operation Zafin Wuta, involved the 6 Brigade of the Nigerian Army and Sector 3 of Operation Whirl Stroke. Targets included a network of bandit enclaves in Shiid village, Tor-Tser, Likam Mountain, Agia, and Tyozua in Takum Local Government Area.”
The military post explained that soldiers surrounded the bandit-terrorist camp yet did not kill or wound any of the criminals.
‘We Pay the Military for Protection, Yet We Die Every Day’
The victims of the attacks by Fulani ethnic militia tell TruthNigeria that the Army has left them undefended even though villagers have bribed Nigerian army officers with cash, fuel and food to intervene on their behalf. Yet, they have been stiffed every time.
Across Takum County—including Amadu, New Gboko, Demave, Peeva and Peeki—villagers say they contribute large sums of money, food items, and logistics support to soldiers for protection that rarely comes.
Hyacinth Ilo, a Kutebe farmer in Peeki, said communities contribute ₦150,000 as mobilisation money for fuel “in case there is an attack.” They also supply food, yet soldiers fail to respond when violence erupts.
“If they can’t help us, I will ask them to refund our money,” he said, “but they will shoot me if I dare ask.”
A traditional leader in Amadu, Sam Isaiah, said villagers donate yams, rice, oil, and up to ₦10,000 per person to soldiers stationed nearby.
Asked whether these contributions were voluntary, he replied:
“If we don’t give them, they say they don’t have fuel. And their attitude toward us becomes hostile.”
Despite these sacrifices, he said, “The Fulani are still attacking, and the Army is not doing anything to stop them.”
Fulani Terrorists Also Pay the Military — Residents Claim
Even more disturbing is the allegation that both victims and perpetrators are paying the military. Multiple residents told TruthNigeria that Fulani militants “settle” soldiers to ignore attacks or to allow militant herders to graze freely on local farms.
Theresa Orkuma, a 31-year-old farmer and mother of two, said Fulani herders openly boast about having military backing.
On November 1, 2025, she and her husband found nearly 60 cows grazing on their unharvested rice farm. When they confronted the herders, they were dismissed.
“They told us we could report to the military or police, but nothing would happen.”
Theresa did report.
“The officer in charge said they were coming. Till now, we have not seen them. Nothing was done.”
Weeks later, terrorists invaded her farm again. When she rushed to the military base, the commander was unavailable. Shortly after returning home, she received a chilling call from a Fulani herder:
“He told me, ‘If you like, go to the governor and report. Nothing will happen. We have paid the military millions of naira.’”
Her testimony matches similar accounts from residents across Takum who insist the militants operate with impunity because they have compromised the very forces meant to protect civilians.
Priest Slams Government, Military Silence
Fr. Moses Angyian another Catholic priest in Takum told TruthNigeria that Fulani terrorists have attacked communities in Chanchanji Ward—the largest and most populated in Takum—for more than a month, yet authorities remain silent.
“This is happening despite a military barracks, a mobile police base, and multiple security agencies stationed here. Yet no government official has condemned the violence or moved to stop it. The silence is alarming. Something is clearly amiss.”
He said the following villages have been taken over by terrorists: Demaavar, Imyande, Gboko, Dooshima Ate, and Tse Adekpe.
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