Africa-Press – Nigeria. Community leaders in Bissaula ward of Kurmi Local Government Council, Taraba State, have raised the alarm over a fresh outbreak of violence in the area, calling on the state government to immediately deploy security personnel to prevent further attacks.
Led by the former chairman of the council, Stephen Agya and Alhaji Idi Ismail, the leaders at weekend in Jalingo, expressed concern over what they described as a major setback to ongoing peace efforts aimed at ending long-standing hostilities between the Ichen and Ndaka-Chamba ethnic groups.
They recalled that the crisis began on December 6, 2021, when suspected Ndaka-Chamba militia invaded Bissaula, killing several residents and destroying property worth millions of naira. Since then, according to the, the community has suffered repeated attacks.
Various peace initiatives were launched by government authorities, community groups and individuals.
Former Governor Dahiru Ishaku had set up a Commission of Inquiry to investigate the immediate and remote causes of the conflict and recommend lasting solutions.
Peace efforts continued under the current administration of Governor Agbu Kefas, who convened a peace meeting in Bissaula last year where the warring camps signed a peace accord committing to peaceful coexistence.
To further reinforce the accord, the governor dispatched a team of security personnel and government officials to Bissaula in December last year to assess the level of destruction and pave the way for the return of displaced residents.
The community leaders further disclosed that the Ichen Traditional Council held a reconciliation meeting in Baissa during which both sides agreed to embrace peace, encouraging displaced families to begin rebuilding their homes.
According to them, several corpses of both Ichen and Ndaka-Chamba natives who died outside the community were recently brought back home for burial, an indication that peace was gradually returning.
However, they lamented that progress was disrupted on November 19, 2025, when suspected Ndaka-Chamba militia launched a nighttime attack, firing sporadically and targeting Baba U. Gambo, a former youth leader and current commander of the Taraba Marshal in Kurmi LGA.
Ismaila and Agya said Gambo and another resident, Kefas Hassan Bui, were seated outside when the attackers struck. While both attempted to flee, the assailants reportedly chased after Gambo and shot him multiple times, leaving him with severe injuries. Gambo is currently undergoing medical treatment, while Bui escaped unhurt.
The community leaders also questioned whether true peace had returned to Bissaula and warned that without urgent intervention, the fragile calm could collapse.
They appealed to Governor Kefas to deploy a permanent team of security operatives to the ward to help sustain peace and enforce the Baissa peace accord. They equally urged civic organizations and religious bodies to intensify peace awareness campaigns, especially among the Ndaka-Chamba community.
Reaffirming the Ichen community’s readiness for harmonious coexistence, they 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.”
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