By Barely a week after the governors of Taraba and Benue states met to address rising insecurity along their border communities, suspected armed herders have reportedly killed two displaced farmers and injured several others in Donga Local Government Area of Taraba State.
The incident occurred on Monday at Tse-Ukwe community in Donga LGA, an area located between Takum and Wukari—two towns recently visited by the governors during an on-the-spot assessment of internally displaced persons (IDPs) camps.
Sources said the victims were displaced farmers who had earlier fled their homes due to repeated attacks and were currently taking refuge at the Tor-Damsa IDP camp in the local government area.
The governors of Taraba and Benue states, Dr. Agbu Kefas and Rev. Hyacinth Alia, had on March 2, 2026, convened a stakeholders’ meeting in Wukari with traditional rulers, government officials and community leaders to deliberate on security challenges along the Benue–Taraba border.
At the meeting, the two governors pledged to strengthen collaboration through intelligence sharing and coordinated support for security agencies to track down those responsible for the persistent violence.
However, the latest attack has heightened fears among residents who say insecurity continues to threaten lives and livelihoods in the area.
The Ter-Donga, the traditional ruler of the Tiv people in Donga LGA, Zaki Ugondu Uma, confirmed the incident, stating that the victims were attacked by armed men suspected to be herders while returning from their farms.
According to him, the farmers had gone to their farmlands to retrieve food items but were ambushed on their way back to the IDP camp.
“The two people killed on March 9, 2026, were IDPs who had earlier been displaced by the same attackers. They are currently taking refuge at Tor-Damsa. They went to their farms to collect foodstuff and were ambushed at Tse-Ukwe while returning,” he said.
He identified the victims as 32-year-old Boniface Aondowase and 35-year-old Aondoakuea Adi, both from Tse-Kur village in Donga Local Government Area.
Uma added that several other farmers escaped with varying degrees of injuries, noting that those who fled the scene claimed they recognised the attackers.
“Those who escaped said they saw the attackers clearly and alleged they were Fulani,” he stated.
The traditional ruler further disclosed that soldiers later arrived at the scene and recovered the bodies of the victims, which were handed over to the community for burial the same evening.
He appealed to the government and security agencies to urgently intervene, warning that displaced persons currently taking refuge at Tor-Damsa are living in fear following rumours of possible fresh attacks.
“Our people have already been chased away from their communities and are now taking refuge here, yet they are still being killed. Where do we run to again to save our lives?” he lamented.
