By Emmanuel Kwada
A violent clash between suspected Fulani herders and Tiv farming communities in Bali Local Government Area of Taraba State has left one person injured and 62 houses reduced to ashes, displacing scores of residents.
What happened here was terrible. You can see houses burnt, people displaced, but thank God no lives were lost
The attack, which occurred on Thursday, June 19, 2025, stemmed from a dispute over a water source, escalating long-standing tensions between the two groups.
According to Aboki Dauda, the chairman of Bali Local Government Area, the conflict began when a Tiv woman went to fetch water from a pond located between Tor Bali and Atongo villages, a resource contested by both the Tiv farmers and Fulani herders.
The woman was reportedly confronted by a cow competing for the same water, and subsequently assaulted by herders. Her distress call sparked a swift reaction from her community, leading to a violent reprisal that saw suspected herders set fire to 62 homes.
“What happened here was terrible. You can see houses burnt, people displaced, but thank God no lives were lost,” Dauda told Channels Television. The attack has left families homeless and heightened fears of further violence in the region, which has a history of herder-farmer conflicts over land and water resources.
Bali Local Government Area of Taraba State has left one person injured and 62 houses reduced to ashes, displacing scores of residents
Local authorities have deployed security forces to restore calm and prevent retaliatory attacks.
Investigations are underway to identify and apprehend the perpetrators, with community leaders calling for dialogue to address the underlying issues fueling such clashes.
The incident adds to the growing concerns over herder-farmer disputes in Nigeria’s North-East, where competition for scarce resources continues to drive communal violence.
Residents are now appealing for government intervention to provide relief for the displaced and to broker lasting peace in the affected communities.
