The Commander of 6 Brigade, Nigerian Army/Sector 3 Operation Whirl Stroke (OPWS), Brigadier General Kingsley C. Uwa, has urged residents of Ibi Local Government Area of Taraba State to renew their commitment to peaceful coexistence, warning that security agencies will no longer tolerate activities capable of igniting violence.

Brigadier General Uwa issued the warning on Wednesday during a stakeholders’ security meeting held at the Palace of the Chief of Ibi.

He said the meeting became necessary in response to rising criminal activities and persistent communal tensions affecting several communities in the area.

The commander condemned recent incidents in which individuals reportedly prevented farmers from harvesting their crops, describing the acts as dangerous provocations that could spark violent confrontations.

He vowed that security personnel would henceforth take decisive action against anyone involved in such misconduct.

Uwa also reminded traditional rulers and community leaders of their responsibility to maintain peace, stressing that those found instigating unrest would face firm action from security forces.

The meeting, observed by our correspondent, brought together traditional rulers, government officials, community leaders and representatives of various security agencies.

Discussions also focused on emerging threats, including the influx of criminals from neighbouring states, farmland disputes, illegal crop harvesting and unresolved chieftaincy issues in Dampar, Tapga, Sarkin Kudu and Gidan Kiye—problems that have recently resulted in loss of lives and destruction of property.

In other news, the Catholic Diocese of Wukari in Taraba State has again issued a distress call to the Federal Government following a surge in violent attacks on farming communities in Takum, Ussa, and other parts of Southern Taraba.

The various attacks, as made by the church in a statement issued to journalists on Thursday in Jalingo, Taraba State, have claimed more than 50 lives in recent weeks.

Jointly signed by Very Rev. Fr (Professor) Anthony I. Bature, Vicar Administration; Very Rev. Fr Simon Akuraga, Chancellor; and Rev. Fr Moses Angyian, Chairman of the NCDPA, made the appeal after a three-day workshop on Pastoral Care and Counselling for Traumatised and Distressed Internal Displaced Persons (IDPs) of the Diocese.

According to the diocese, more than 3,000 people have been killed over the past three decades, with over 335 communities and churches destroyed and property worth billions of naira lost.

The church also noted that more than 300,000 residents, mostly widows, children and orphans, have been displaced.

The statement accused armed herders of carrying out “marauding” attacks using sophisticated weapons, often taking over the homes and farmlands of displaced residents.

The diocese listed more than 20 communities in the Chanchanji ward of Takum LGA, among them Kwanta, Dooshima, Amadu, Ioveer, Sember, Jabi, Ayu, and New Gboko, all of which were recently attacked.

It added that several communities across Ussa LGA, including Kapsitswa, Kapsi, Waesi, Sati Tsinya, Wakan, Kwabu 1 and Kwabu 2, have also come under siege. Over 40 people were reportedly killed in Takum and more than 30 in Ussa. (THE GUARDIAN)