Suspected armed herders attacked three communities in Bali Local Government Area of Taraba State on Tuesday, June 17, setting ablaze 62 houses and injuring one resident, according to the Taraba State Police Command.
The assault, targeting Kpashimbe, Gbagba, and Nyido villages, displaced over 500 people, escalating tensions in Nigeria’s North-East amid ongoing herder-farmer conflicts.
Police spokesperson Gambo Kwache confirmed the attack, stating that gunmen struck at dawn, burning homes and looting livestock before fleeing. The injured resident, a 34-year-old farmer, was treated at Bali General Hospital.
Governor Agbu Kefas deployed a joint military-police task force to restore calm, per Daily Trust. Local leaders attributed the violence to disputes over grazing land, exacerbated by climate-induced migration, with Taraba recording 200 clashes in 2024, per the Institute for Peace and Conflict Resolution.
The attack follows similar incidents in Benue, where 100 died in Yelewata on June 13. Kefas announced a ₦500 million relief fund for victims and plans for dialogue with herder and farmer groups. Critics argue that federal inaction on grazing reserves fuels the crisis, with 1,500 deaths nationwide in 2025, per Amnesty International. The Taraba government’s response faces scrutiny as displaced families seek urgent aid.