The former chairman of Kurmi Local Government Council in Taraba State, Steven Ibrahim Agya, alongside community leader Alhaji Idi Ismaila of Bissaula ward, has raised the alarm over a fresh outbreak of violence in the area, urging the state government to urgently deploy security personnel to prevent further attacks.

Speaking during a press briefing in Jalingo over the weekend, the duo expressed deep concern over what they described as a setback to ongoing peace efforts aimed at resolving long-standing hostilities between the Ichen and Ndaka-Chamba ethnic groups.

They recalled that the conflict dates back to December 16, 2021, when suspected Ndaka-Chamba militia invaded Bissaula, killing several residents and destroying property worth millions of naira.

Ismaila and Agya noted that numerous peace initiatives had been undertaken by the government, civil society groups, and individuals over the years.

They highlighted that former Governor Darius Dickson Ishaku had established a Commission of Inquiry to investigate the 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 both factions signed an accord pledging to coexist peacefully.

To strengthen the implementation of the agreement, the governor dispatched security personnel and government officials to the town in December to assess destruction and prepare for the return of displaced residents.

The duo also revealed that the Ichen Traditional Council had held a reconciliation meeting in Bissaula, where both sides agreed to embrace peace, allowing displaced families to begin rebuilding their homes.

They cited instances this year where corpses of both Ichen and Ndaka-Chamba natives who had died outside the town were brought home for burial, indicating that peace was gradually returning.

However, they said progress was abruptly disrupted on Wednesday, November 19, 2025, when suspected Ndaka-Chamba militia launched a nighttime attack on the town, firing sporadically and targeting Baba Umaru Gambo, a former youth leader and current commander of the Taraba Marshal in the local government.

According to the community leaders, Gambo and another resident, Kefas Hassa Bui, were seated outside when the attackers struck. While both attempted to flee, Gambo was pursued and shot multiple times, leaving him severely injured. He is currently receiving medical treatment, while Bui escaped unharmed.

The leaders questioned whether peace had truly returned to Bissaula, given the recent attack. They appealed to Governor Agbu Kefas to deploy a permanent team of security operatives to sustain the fragile peace and enforce the terms of the Bissaula peace accord.

They also urged non-governmental organisations and religious bodies to intensify peace sensitisation, particularly within the Ndaka-Chamba community. Reaffirming the Ichen community?s commitment to peaceful coexistence, they stressed the need to protect local resources and ensure collective growth.

?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,? they said. (The Guardian)

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