Grief and sorrow enveloped the Munga Lalau and Munga Doso communities in the Karim-Lamido Local Government Area of Taraba State on Saturday, as dozens of villagers slain by suspected herdsmen were laid to rest.
The PUNCH reported that the villages, located in the northern part of the state, were left devastated after over 50 armed assailants reportedly rode in on motorcycles and launched a brutal assault around 2am on Friday.
Eyewitnesses recounted a chilling account of how the attackers stormed the communities under the cover of darkness, firing indiscriminately at sleeping residents and setting homes ablaze.
A soldier who took part in the rescue mission revealed, “We have counted 42 bodies so far, with many still missing.”
Chairman of the Munga Youth Forum, Suleiman Joel, corroborated the scale of the tragedy, confirming a significant loss of life.
“We are still recovering the dead bodies, but I can tell you that the casualty figure is high. These are not isolated killings. It is a calculated extermination. People who returned to their homes based on security assurances have now been killed. What do we tell their families?” he lamented.
Survivors painted a harrowing picture of the night’s events. Armed with AK-47 rifles and machetes, the attackers reportedly moved from house to house, setting buildings alight and killing anyone in sight.
“We didn’t know where to run to,” said Soja Emmanuel. “They came around 2am, shooting sporadically. People jumped out of their homes into the bush. Some didn’t make it.”
Anguish and Outrage During Burial
As families gathered for the mass burial on Saturday, many were overcome with emotion, struggling to comprehend the scale of the loss. Some recounted the horrifying scenes that led to the deaths of their loved ones.
Augustine Munga, a local leader who lost two of his brothers in the assault, called on authorities to intervene decisively and halt the cycle of violence.
“The mass burial took place here in Munga Lalau and was conducted by soldiers and other security personnel,” he said.
Another villager, mourning four of his relatives, speculated that the attackers were mercenaries working for herders.
“We all slept in the bush yesterday. The sound of gunshots that rent the air was beyond conventional herdsmen. We fled to the mountains and returned home this morning to see our houses razed,” he sobbed in a phone conversation, barely able to hold back tears.
For Madam Sarah Bitrus, who lost her husband and two other family members, words failed her. With tears streaming down her face, she muttered, “My world has ended.”
Governor Vows Justice
In response to the massacre, Taraba State Governor Agbu Kefas issued a strong condemnation, labeling the violence as “carnage, horrendous and unacceptable.”
In a statement released through his Special Adviser on Media and Digital Communications, Emmanuel Bello, the governor pledged to bring the perpetrators to justice and reinforce security across the state.
He emphasized the importance of synergy between residents and security agencies, particularly in intelligence sharing and vigilance.
While appealing for calm, he urged residents to remain alert and report suspicious movements to law enforcement.
Police Confirm Herdsmen Suspects
James Lashen, the acting Police Public Relations Officer in Taraba, confirmed the incident and identified the suspected attackers as herdsmen.
“Actually, there was an attack on Munga community by suspected herdsmen. Our men responded promptly, and during the engagement, the attackers fled, abandoning a motorcycle. We recovered four bodies at the scene. There were no casualties among our men,” he disclosed.
Northern Nigeria’s Mounting Toll
This tragedy is just the latest in a string of violent episodes sweeping across the northern region of Nigeria, driven by a blend of ethnic tension, banditry, and farmer-herder clashes.
In the past month alone, more than 383 people have been killed in the region, with states like Plateau, Benue, Zamfara, Kaduna, Niger, Kano, and Taraba bearing the brunt of the violence.
One of the bloodiest recent attacks occurred in Benue State, where 56 residents were killed during back-to-back assaults on Ukum and Logo local government areas between April 17 and 18.
Similarly, Zike community in Bassa LGA of Plateau State witnessed the deaths of 40 people in April, while 57 individuals were massacred last Thursday in Borno State, allegedly by Boko Haram militants belonging to the Jama’atu Ahlis Sunna Lidda’awati wal-Jihad faction.
Reports from the Borno massacre revealed that many of the victims had their throats slit or were shot at close range, further underscoring the scale of terror engulfing the region.
