Taraba: 19 Christians Killed By Fulani Ethnic Militias EASTERN PILOT | JANUARY 10, 2026 | Report By: Mike Odeh James and Elisha Ayes Janua...
Taraba: 19 Christians Killed By Fulani Ethnic Militias
EASTERN PILOT | JANUARY 10, 2026 |
Report By: Mike Odeh James and Elisha Ayes
January 09, 2026
Takum, Taraba State) Shrewdly planned attacks by Fulani ethnic militias devastated the Adu community in Takum County (Local Governance Area) during the Christmas season, killing families, torching churches, and expelling thousands. Fr. George Dogo of Holy Family Cathedral, Takum, told TruthNigeria that between December 19, 2025, and January 6, 2026, at least 19 Christians—mostly Catholics—were killed by Fulani militias in and around Adu village.
“Five Christians were killed on January 6, 2026, while working on their farms,” Fr. Dogo said. “The terrorists have changed tactics. They now ambush desperate farmers who are trying to access their farmlands to see if anything remains for survival,” Dogo said. Whereas earlier attacks focused on entire villages, the current strategy increasingly targets isolated farmers to remove Christians entirely from their plots, Dogo explained.
A Christmas Season Turned Violent
The attacks began on December 19, 2025, escalating steadily across several villages before peaking on Christmas Eve, when the headquarters of the Adu Catholic Parish came under direct assault.
Where Is Adu?
Adu community is in Chanchanji Ward of Takum LGA, southern Taraba State. It lies approximately 120 kilometers southwest of Jalingo, the state capital, and about 360 kilometers southeast of Abuja. The area is inhabited mainly by Kuteb and Tiv communities, who are predominantly Christian. Adu and surrounding villages are agrarian, producing yams, cassava, maize, rice, coffee, and cocoa.
A Parish Devastated
The Roman Catholic priest in charge of St. James The Great Parish in Adu, Fr. Joseph Zirra, gave an eyewitness damage report exclusively to TruthNigeria. “Adu Parish is one of the largest rural Catholic parishes in this area,” Fr. Zirra said. “It comprises 37 churches and village congregations, including a central parish church.”
Beyond worship, he explained, the churches function as community centers, emergency shelters, and storage spaces for farm produce and personal belongings, serving as symbols of both faith and communal identity. “That entire network has now been severely crippled,” he said. “As of today, 20 out of the 37 churches have been attacked and sacked. Even Adu itself—the parish headquarters—was not spared.”
Christmas Eve Assault
The most devastating attack was launched on December 24, 2025. “At about 5:00 p.m., I received a distress call from my catechist,” Fr. Zirra recounted. “He told me that Fulani militias had invaded Adu.” The new church building had its windows smashed, the parish office vandalized, the priest’s residence attacked, and the old church—one of the earliest Christian structures in the area—broken into, according to Zirra. Beyond destroying church buildings, the attackers carried out organized looting.
“Many parishioners stored their personal belongings in the old church for safety,” Zirra said. “When they returned, everything had been stolen.” Items looted included clothing, foodstuffs, household items, and farm produce critically needed by families already displaced by the violence.
Confirmed Killings During Christmas Period
While the assault on Adu peaked on Christmas Eve, killings were recorded in surrounding communities in the days leading up to December 25. At least 14 people were confirmed killed between December 19 and December 25, 2025, according to Dogo. The confirmed victims include residents of Adu, Abeda, Abom, Demevar, Gaza, Fanga, Mchar, Tse Gyuse, and Ugosor villages. More bodies are expected to be found in the bush, according to Dogo. The five additional killings recorded on January 6, 2026, bring the total confirmed death toll to 19.
More than 8,000 Displaced
Community leaders and displaced residents estimate that more than 8,000 people—men, women, and children—have been forced to flee their homes. “Most of those displaced are farmers who can barely feed themselves, let alone survive displacement,” said David Oterger, a Tiv community leader from Chanchanji. “Adu is not the only community affected. Amadu and Demevar have also been abandoned, with thousands fleeing to neighboring areas.” Oterger added, “I fled from Adu to Peever in Chanchanji, only to find many others already displaced. People are now stranded with nowhere to go.”
Accusations of Government Inaction
David Onyilokwu Idah, of the International Human Rights Commission, Abuja, told TruthNigeria that warnings about planned Christmas-period attacks on Christians were ignored. He cited alerts issued by Judd Saul, founder of Equipping the Persecuted, warning of impending attacks across Nigeria’s Middle Belt. “Despite these warnings, the Federal Government failed to take preventive measures,” Idah said. He also criticized the Taraba State Government, accusing Governor Agbu Kefas of failing to intervene decisively to halt the killings in Southern Taraba. According to him, state authorities have attempted to downplay or suppress reports of attacks on Christian communities.
Military Response Questioned
Idah further accused the Nigerian military of failing to pursue the attackers. “For reasons best known to them, the military has not gone after these terrorists. Whether due to manpower or logistics constraints, this failure has emboldened the attackers,” he said.
Timeline of Attacks
· Dec. 19–22, 2025: Initial attacks and killings in outlying villages
· Dec. 23: Residents begin fleeing Adu and neighboring communities
· Dec. 24 (Christmas Eve): Adu Catholic Parish headquarters attacked
. Dec. 25 (Christmas Day): Displacement spreads across Southern Taraba
· Jan. 6, 2026: Five farmers killed in fresh ambushes
FACT BOX
· Location: Adu Community, Chanchanji Ward, Takum LGA, Taraba State
· Period Covered: Dec. 19, 2025 – Jan. 6, 2026
· Churches Affected: 20 of 37 parish churches
· Deaths Confirmed: 19
· Displacement: Over 8,000 people
· Official Response: None at time of publication
Efforts to obtain official comments from federal and state authorities, security agencies, and the Nigerian military were unsuccessful as of the time of publication.
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