2.2.5. Taraba
Taraba state is comprised of the following 16 LGAs: Ardo Kola, Bali, Donga, Gashaka, Gassol, Ibi, Jalingo, Karim Lamido, Kurmi, Lau, Sardauna, Takum, Ussa, Wukari, Yorro, and Zing. The capital city is Jalingo.819
The main ethnic groups include Fulani, Mumuye, Jukun, Jenjo, Kuteb, Chamba and Mambilla.820
UNFPA and the US Census Bureau projected the population of Taraba in 2022 at 3 609 843, based on figures from the 2006 census figures.821
a) Conflict dynamics and main actors
For a general overview on actors in Nigeria, please see section 1.1 Main Actors.
A July 2024 report by the consulting firm Nextier did not identify any LGAs in Taraba as being part of what it refers to as the ‘Northeast Belt of Insurgency’,822 although there was some reported activity of criminals deployed by Boko Haram and ISWAP.823 The state has witnessed conflicts between farmers and herders,824 kidnappings825 and banditry,826 including armed robberies.827 Southern Taraba, including Wukari LGA, faced long-standing land disputes between ethnic Tiv and Jukun communities,828 with suspected militia attacks on farmers resulting in casualties in April 2025829 and May 2025.830
Parts of Karim Lamido LGA saw recurrent communal clashes between herders and farmers, including in Bandawa, Munga, and Fulani communities, resulting in multiple deaths.831 An intensification of attacks was observed in May 2025 as eight youths were killed in Munga Dosso.832 Violence further escalated on 23 May 2025 when gunmen on motorcycles assaulted Munga Lelau and other nearby villages,833 killing dozens of people.834 The attack on Munga Lelau, reportedly involving over 50 assailants,835 was attributed to Fulani herdsmen.836 Attacks on farming communities also occurred in Bali LGA,837 including in the context of tensions between Tiv residents and Fulani herders.838
b) Security incidents and impact on the population
In the period from 1 January 2024 to 31 August 2025, ACLED recorded 135 security incidents in Taraba state that resulted in a total of 219 fatalities. Of these incidents, 54 were coded as battles, 10 as riots, and 71 as violence against civilians.839
Figure 16: Evolution of security events coded as battles, explosions/remote violence, riots, and violence against civilians in Taraba state, 1 January 2024 – 31 August 2025, based on ACLED data.840
Security incidents were recorded by ACLED in 15 LGAs of the state, with the highest number documented in Karim Lamidu LGA (26 incidents), followed by Wukari (24) and Takum (23) LGAs. There was only one LGA where no incidents were recorded. According to ACLED, unidentified armed groups, Taraba communal militia and Fulani ethnic militia (coded as either ‘Actor1’ or ‘Actor2’) were involved in the majority of incidents coded as violence against civilians.841
Nigeria Watch recorded that in 2024, six deaths resulted from incidents related to rural banditry (which represents the country’s lowest number of fatalities linked to rural banditry in 2024) and 33 from kidnappings.842 Gunmen suspected to be herders killed at least 40 people as they launched attacks in Karim Lamido LGA on 23 May 2025.843
Conflict-related infrastructure damage - Multiple houses were set on fire in herder attacks in Munga Lelau, Magami844 and Bandawa villages (Karim Lamido LGA)845 and in communal clashes in Wukari846 and Bali LGAs.847
Road security - A deadly attack on commuters occurred along the Takum-Wukari highway (August 2024),848 while several travellers were kidnapped on the Chinkai-Kente-Wukari road (August 2025).849 The road through Chonku to Gor (Wukari LGA) was described as a ‘high tension route’ in terms of bandit activity.850
Displacement, movement and return - As of November 2024, IOM estimated the number of IDPs in Taraba state at 62 564,851 compared to 65 589 as of September 2024. IOM lists communal clashes (82 %) and insurgency (18 %) as the main reasons for displacement in the state.852 The 23 May 2025 attack on the Munga Lelau community in Karim Lamido LGA resulted in the displacement of hundreds of residents.853 No information could be found on returns in Taraba state during the reference period.
c) State response in maintaining law and order
The NAF’s 6 Brigade and Sector 3 of OPWS dismantled a number of bandit hideouts during clearance operations in Takum, Donga,854 Karim Lamido855 and Wukari LGAs,856 arrested dozens of bandits857 and a suspected criminal working for Boko Haram,858 and foiled a planned bandit attack on villages in southern Taraba.859 Meanwhile, at the time when the deadly May 2025 attack on Munga Lelau was launched, security forces were stationed in Bandawa and arrived at the scene only after the killings,860 while residents in Ardo Kola LGA pointed to a lack of adequate security presence in their area, particularly during nighttime.861
- 819
Nigeria, Federal Government of Nigeria, States, Taraba, n.d., url
- 820
Nigeria, Federal Government of Nigeria, States, Taraba, n.d., url
- 821
UNFPA and US Census Bureau, Nigeria – Subnational Population Statistics, 2022, modified 11 September 2024, url
- 822
Nextier, Nigeria’s Northeast Belt of Insurgency and the Challenge of Refugees, 17 July 2024, url, p. 1
- 823
Vanguard, Army apprehends Boko Haram suspect in Taraba, 28 January 2025, url
- 824
Dabo, N.M. et al., Effect of farmer-herder conflicts on food security in Taraba state, Nigeria, June 2024, url, p. 1
- 825
Daily Post, Gunmen kidnap varsity lecturer, attack businessman in Taraba, 1 August 2025, url; Vanguard, Insecurity: Nigerian Army assures Taraba residents of adequate security, 11 January 2024, url; IFRC, NGA: Other - 03-2024 - Arm Gangs Attacks, 8 March 2024, url; Nigeria Watch, Fourteenth report on violence in Nigeria 2024, 2025, url, p. 10
- 826
Vanguard, Insecurity: Nigerian Army assures Taraba residents of adequate security, 11 January 2024, url; Nigeria Watch, Fourteenth report on violence in Nigeria 2024, 2025, url, p. 9
- 827
Daily Post, Gunmen kidnap varsity lecturer, attack businessman in Taraba, 1 August 2025, url; Daily Post, Residents panic as armed robbers invade Taraba community, 21 July 2025, url; Punch, Police confirm Taraba attack, mum on gov’s family involvement, 6 December 2024, url
- 828
PM News, Gunmen raze 15 huts, shoot one in fresh Taraba clash, 8 May 2025, url
- 829
Guardian (The) Nigeria, Shock as farm attack claims two brothers in Taraba community, 6 April 2025, url
- 830
PM News, Gunmen raze 15 huts, shoot one in fresh Taraba clash, 8 May 2025, url
- 831
Daily Trust, 30 killed in Taraba communal clash, 26 May 2025, url
- 832
Premium Times, Taraba community cries out over bandits’ activities, 10 June 2025, url
- 833
Daily Trust, 30 killed in Taraba communal clash, 26 May 2025, url
- 834
International Crisis Group, Crisis Watch – Nigeria: January 2024 – August 2025, n.d., url
- 835
Punch, Mass burial in Taraba as herders slaughter scores, 25 May 2025, url
- 836
Daily Trust, 30 killed in Taraba communal clash, 26 May 2025, url
- 837
Naija Times, TARABA: One injured, 62 houses set ablaze as suspected herders attack Bali, 21 June 2025, url; THISDAY, Troops Nab Mastermind of Terrorist Attack on Villages in Taraba, 21 June 2024, url
- 838
Naija Times, TARABA: One injured, 62 houses set ablaze as suspected herders attack Bali, 21 June 2025, url
- 839
EUAA analysis based on publicly available ACLED data. ACLED, Curated Data Files, Africa, data covering 1 January 2024 to 31 August 2025, as of 10 September 2025, url
- 840
EUAA analysis based on publicly available ACLED data. ACLED, Curated Data Files, Africa, data covering 1 January 2024 to 31 August 2025, as of 10 September 2025, url
- 841
EUAA analysis based on publicly available ACLED data. ACLED, Curated Data Files, Africa, data covering 1 January 2024 to 31 August 2025, as of 10 September 2025, url
- 842
Nigeria Watch, Fourteenth report on violence in Nigeria 2024, 2025, url, pp. 9-10
- 843
International Crisis Group, Crisis Watch – Nigeria: January 2024 – August 2025, n.d., url
- 844
Vanguard, Many displaced as armed herders renew attacks in Taraba communities, 24 May 2025, url
- 845
Vanguard, Fresh attack hits Taraba village as suspected herders raze houses, 10 July 2025, url
- 846
PM News, Gunmen raze 15 huts, shoot one in fresh Taraba clash, 8 May 2025, url
- 847
Naija Times, TARABA: One injured, 62 houses set ablaze as suspected herders attack Bali, 21 June 2025, url
- 848
Punch, Gunmen kill six in Taraba highway attack, 12 August 2024, url
- 849
Daily Post, Kidnappers attack vehicle, abduct passengers in Taraba, 5 August 2025, url; Daily Post, Gunmen kidnap varsity lecturer, attack businessman in Taraba, 1 August 2025, url
- 850
Sun (The) Nigeria, Troops conduct clearance operations in parts of Taraba, 21 June 2025, url
- 851
IOM, Nigeria — Displacement Report Round 49: Needs Monitoring in North-East Nigeria — March 2025, 7 March 2025, url, p. 6; As of 1 August 2025, UNHCR mentions the same IDP numbers. UNHCR, Nigeria – Forcibly Displaced Populations, 13 August 2025, url
- 852
IOM, Nigeria — Displacement Report Round 49: Needs Monitoring in North-East Nigeria — March 2025, 7 March 2025, url, pp. 6, 9
- 853
Daily Trust, 30 killed in Taraba communal clash, 26 May 2025, url
- 854
Daily Trust, Troops storm Taraba forest, sack bandits’ camp, 2 December 2024, url
- 855
Channels TV, 23 Bandits Surrender, One Killed As Troops Recover Arms In Taraba, 3 February 2025, url
- 856
TVC News, Troops Of 6 Brigade Disrupt Bandit Meeting, Destroy Camps In Taraba, 7 July 2025, url; Sun (The) Nigeria, Troops conduct clearance operations in parts of Taraba, 21 June 2025, url
- 857
Channels TV, 23 Bandits Surrender, One Killed As Troops Recover Arms In Taraba, 3 February 2025, url; Premium Times, Army repels bandits’ retaliatory attack on Taraba community, 14 November 2024, url
- 858
Vanguard, Army apprehends Boko Haram suspect in Taraba, 28 January 2025, url
- 859
Channels TV, Troops Foil Bandit Attack, Arrest Two Suspects In Taraba, 12 December 2024, url
- 860
Daily Trust, 30 killed in Taraba communal clash, 26 May 2025, url
- 861
Daily Post, Residents panic as armed robbers invade Taraba community, 21 July 2025, url