Over 30 residents killed, others wounded in renewed herdsmen attack in Taraba

Thirty people have been killed and many others injured following an attack by suspected herders on the farming community of Munga Lelau in Karim Lamido Local Government Area of Taraba State.
The violence reportedly stemmed from growing tensions between farmers and herders over missing cattle, which escalated into a series of retaliatory attacks among long-time neighbors who had previously lived in harmony.
As per local tradition, the victims were buried in a mass grave within the community.
Eyewitnesses reported that, unlike a separate incident in the Bandawa community—where two people were killed after a farmer confronted herders grazing cattle on his land—the attackers in Munga Lelau arrived on motorcycles, fired indiscriminately, and set several buildings ablaze.
Residents, who say they have coexisted peacefully with the Fulani community for decades, allege that the attack was enabled by a failure or possible compromise by security forces and blame their neighbors for masterminding the assault.
One of the affected residents, Alpharis Philemon, described the attack as deeply disheartening.
“It is something that we never expected. The whole people of Munga are heartbroken. From time immemorial, we lived in peace with the Fulanis, and no one can actually tell you what led to this ugly situation,” he said.
“We do not have a history of conflict between Munga and the Fulani. In my observation, it is an issue of land grabbing. The rainy season has started, and whenever there is a crisis, our people cannot go too far, and they’ll use their farms for grazing.
“The security is compromised and I can say this without any fear or contradiction because Munga Lelau and Karim, the headquarters of Karim Lamido, is just a seven-minute drive. So, if there is an incident, we expect the security to have responded.
“For more than two hours, the military did not come to our rescue. I think the military and the police have questions to answer.”
Chairman of Karim Lamido local government area, Bitrus Danjos, who could not hold back his tears and was assisted out of the mass burial scene, described the incident as barbaric.
He questioned why the victims chose to take the law into their own hands instead of seeking justice through the courts.
He explained that his local government area shares porous borders with five states—Adamawa, Bauchi, Gombe, Nasarawa, and Plateau—making it highly vulnerable to attacks by bandits.
He added that many residents have already been displaced and are now relying on assistance from both the government and non-governmental organizations.
In response to the violence, Taraba State Governor Agbu Kefas, through a press statement issued by his Special Adviser on Media and Digital Communication, Emmanuel Bello, condemned the attack, describing it as horrendous and unacceptable.
Governor Kefas warned that the perpetrators would face serious consequences and reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to protecting the state from external threats and all forms of aggression.