Soldiers Ran Out of Ammunition During Deadly Ambush in Takum LGA
By Mike Odeh James and Elisha Ayes
(Jalingo) A Nigerian soldier was killed, and two others remain missing after suspected Fulani terrorists ambushed a military-escorted farming mission in Takum Local Government Area of Taraba State.
The ambush was staged on December 15, 2025, between 11:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m., in the Vande area of Kofai Amadu community, Chanchangi Ward, Takum LGA (approximate coordinates: 10.018°E, 7.400°N), an area under continuous attack by Fulani ethnic militia for months.
The operation was organised to allow displaced farmers retrieve food from abandoned farmlands following weeks of sustained attacks that had forced entire communities to flee.
Farms Under Siege
For nearly two months, Kofai Amadu and neighbouring Christian settlements have faced repeated assaults attributed to armed Fulani ethnic militia. The attacks displaced residents, disrupted harvesting cycles, and deepened food insecurity across the area.
Community leaders said worsening hunger compelled villagers to seek military protection to access their farms and evacuate stored produce before it was destroyed or looted.
Escort Turned Target
Ten soldiers were deployed to escort civilians who travelled in ten private vehicles to their farmlands, Fr. George Dogo of Holy Family Cathedral told TruthNigeria.
“Ten soldiers escorted civilians who came with ten vehicles to move food and farm produce,” he said.
According to Fr. Dogo, the group was ambushed shortly after harvesting commenced.
“The farmers came under heavy attack almost immediately,” he said.
Multiple local accounts said the soldiers engaged the attackers but ran out of ammunition, leaving the unit exposed. During the encounter, three soldiers were captured alive.
Fr. Dogo further confirmed that five civilian vehicles belonging to the farmers were set ablaze by the attackers before they withdrew.
Killing, Capture, and Religious Profiling
Fr. Dogo said the slain soldier, identified as Valentino, was operating a PKT machine gun.
“He was shot in the leg, then in the abdomen, before he was killed. His body was badly mutilated, and his weapon taken,” he said.
Of the captured personnel, two—identified by the nicknames Zamani and “Negative Boy”—are Christians, while the third is Muslim.
A farmer who witnessed the attack, Babaji Jonasson, told TruthNigeria that the attackers demanded the Muslim captive recite the Islamic declaration of faith.
“After he recited the Shahada, they released him but seized his rifle,” he said.
The two Christian soldiers remain missing and are believed to have been taken to an unknown location.
Confirmed Losses
Based on independent verification and clerical testimony, TruthNigeria confirms the following:
· One Nigerian soldier killed
· Two soldiers missing
· Five civilian vehicles burned
Weapons reportedly lost during the ambush include:
· Four AK-47 rifles
· One PKT machine gun
· Of the ten soldiers deployed:
· Seven returned alive
· Six returned with their weapons
· One returned without his weapon
There are unverified claims that the released captive may belong to the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) rather than the Nigerian Army. Authorities have not issued clarification.
Major Attacks on Farming Communities in Southern Taraba (2025)
December 15 – Kofai Amadu, Takum LGA
Military-escorted farming mission ambushed.
Impact: One soldier killed, two missing, five vehicles burned.
December 10 – Tse Ajogo, Wukari LGA
Returning IDPs attacked.
Impact: At least 17 civilians killed; survivors displaced again.
November – Wukari, Takum, Chanchangi axis
Coordinated militia raids.
Impact: More than 20 killed; villages temporarily abandoned.
May 24 – Karim Lamido LGA
Armed herders attacked multiple villages.
Impact: 42 civilians killed; hundreds displaced.
Expanding Militia Control
Since October 2025, Fulani militia groups have intensified attacks across Takum, Ussa, Wukari, and Donga LGAs, a critical agricultural corridor linking Taraba to Benue and Cross River states.
Local leaders describe a recurring pattern: raids on farming villages, destruction of farmlands, targeted killings, kidnappings, and ambushes of escorted civilian movements. Attacks spike during harvest seasons, when displaced farmers attempt to return to their fields.
Mike Odeh James and Elisha Ayes write on Crime, Politics, and Conflict for TruthNigeria from Kaduna.
