By Emmanuel Awari – Jalingo
The Governor of Taraba State, Dr. Agbu Kefas, has called on residents of communities affected by recent unrest in Sardauna Local Government Area of the state to shun bitterness and embrace peace.
The Governor stated that peace had been restored in the troubled communities of the Mambilla Plateau.
Governor Kefas made the call on Friday shortly after inspecting the ongoing construction of the Force Operating Base, FOB, along Kente Road in Wukari Local Government Area.
He noted that the curfew remains in place while security operatives have made some arrests in connection with the unrest.
He announced that the forthcoming World Tourism Day celebration which was scheduled for 27th September 2026, has been postponed to commiserate with the affected communities over the unfortunate incident.
He urged traditional rulers, political stakeholders and youth organisations to engage their people and promote lasting peace in the area.
“Sardauna Local Government Area had witnessed increased Federal Government presence, with several road construction projects ongoing, and the need for more development in the area,” he said.
“Security of lives and property across Taraba State remains my constitutional responsibility and everyone is a stakeholder in peace building.”
“The present administration would continue to provide an enabling environment for the military and other security agencies to discharge their duties,” he added.
Speaking on security in Karim Lamido, Dr. Agbu Kefas said the local government was declared an area of particular security concern to ensure increased security presence, noting that security operatives were doing a lot of work in the area.
He commended the ongoing construction work of the FOB along Kente Road in Wukari and suggested areas for improvement to strengthen the facility.
Recall that scores of people were killed, while houses, livestock and farmlands destroyed in renewed violence between Mambila and Fulani communities on the Mambilla Plateau in Sardauna Local Government Area of Taraba State.
The latest killings and destruction began on Tuesday in communities around Mbamga, a constituency in Taraba State located along the international border between Nigeria and Cameroon.
While some people have suggested that the disagreement between the two groups may have been politically motivated, residents who spoke to our correspondent insisted that the renewed violence was rooted in a long-standing crisis that had been simmering between members of the two communities.
According to Dr Oliver Wubon, a former Chairman of Sardauna Local Government Area, the latest crisis began after an alleged attempted rape involving a Mambila woman and a Fulani youth.
“A Mambila woman went to her farm to harvest cassava. Farms over there are located in isolated areas. While she was returning, a Fulani young man saw her and attempted to rape her along a lonely path. The woman resisted, and it resulted in a fight. The Fulani young man was almost overpowered by the woman farmer,” Wubon said.
“The Fulani young man was held firmly by the woman to prevent him from escaping. During the struggle, he removed his knife and inflicted several injuries on the woman. She held on to him and shouted for help. Local farmers then rushed to the scene. Having seen the woman covered in injuries and blood, the farmers went after the Fulani youth, apprehended him and handed him over to the police.”
“That was the beginning of the renewed crisis between the Fulani and Mambila communities once again. I am calling on both tribes to lay down their arms. The two tribes were created by God to live together. Crisis cannot bring development to our areas,” Dr Wubon told our correspondent by phone.
No contrary account has so far emerged regarding the alleged origin of the renewed crisis between the two communities.