A Nigerian Catholic Priest, Rev. Fr. George Dogo, in southern Taraba State, has raised the alarm that Fulani militants were waging a genocidal campaign against Christian communities, with fresh overnight attacks and mass displacements affecting tens of thousands of parishioners.
The Parish Priest of Holy Family Catholic Parish said Madu village was attacked overnight, leaving three people dead and homes ransacked, according to reports in a Catholic Church journal.
He disclosed that his parish area, including Ton and surrounding communities, has been under siege for approximately two months, with 33 people killed locally, crops destroyed, and residents forced to flee.
”When you come to my place and you attack me unprovoked, then you send me out and you occupy the place and you stay there and you don’t allow me to come back for years. Is that a clash? No, that is not a clash,” Fr. Dogo said.
According to displacement figures provided by the priest, approximately 26,171 people have fled Holy Family Parish alone.
He reported that over 500 have been displaced from St. Philip Catholic Parish and 5,920 from Holy Spirit Parish, estimating that more than 300,000 Christians have been displaced across the broader region.
”What I want the world to know is that there is genocide taking place right in this southern Taraba which is the geographical or the jurisdiction of Okari Diocese,” he said.
Fr. Dogo described a worsening humanitarian crisis, with families lacking food, shelter, water, and adequate medical care. He noted that some victims have been “macheted” and are unable to reach hospitals for treatment.
The Priest called for urgent government intervention to restore peace and enable the safe return of displaced families, while expressing doubt about local authorities’ willingness to act.
Tensions have escalated following recent attacks on churches, including an arson at St. Mary’s Catholic Cathedral in Wukari, where Fr. James Oliver rescued the Blessed Sacrament from the flames.
The allegations from Fr. Dogo align with broader patterns of violence documented in recent months. According to the Timbuktu Institute, a February 10 attack in Mchia, Taraba State, killed ten Christians, with Diocese of Wukari leaders reporting that since September 2025, violence has left more than 100 people dead, destroyed 200 churches and communities, and displaced 90,000 Catholics.
Catholic clergy from Wukari Diocese issued a statement February 12 detailing that “more than 100 persons have been killed so far, several others injured with various degrees of injuries, while over 200 communities and churches have been destroyed and the residents, numbering over 90,000 Catholics, displaced” .
The priests described attackers entering villages early morning while residents sleep, “killing anyone in sight and setting houses and harvests ablaze.”
The clerics further alleged that “suspected Fulani militia have also taken over the entire farmlands of the people and would attack anybody who dares to visit his farm in an attempt to get food for his family. Some women have been raped in the process of doing so” .
In mid-February, priests from the dioceses of Wukari and Jalingo held a protest march in the state capital, with Fr. James Yaro, Apostolic Vicar of Wukari, declaring that “a genocide against Christians” is occurring in southern Taraba.
Christian leaders have repeatedly appealed for government action. The Northern Christians Religious Leaders Assembly reported that between January 2 and February 3, 2026, at least 102 Tiv Christians were killed in Chanchanji district of Takum Local Government Area.
The group questioned, “Ten murderous attacks in 33 days is horrific. Where is the government? And where are the security agencies?”
The Christian Association of Nigeria confirmed that violence beginning in September 2025 has displaced “hundreds of thousands of people mostly Christian farmers” and forced the closure of 103 denominational churches across Donga and Takum local government areas due to insecurity.
