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From Sylvanus Viashima, Jalingo
At least 42 persons are feared dead and several others remain missing following fresh attacks by armed herdsmen on Munga Lalau and Munga Doso communities in Karim-Lamido Local Government Area of Taraba State.
The coordinated assaults, which occurred in the early hours of Friday, sent residents fleeing into nearby hills and forests, while several others sustained gunshot wounds.
Eyewitnesses said the assailants, numbering over 50, stormed the villages on motorcycles and opened fire indiscriminately on sleeping residents.
The acting Police Public Relations Officer in the State, James Lashen, confirmed the attack and the death of four people.
“Actually, there was an attack on Munga community by suspected herdsmen,” he said. “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.”
However, residents said 42 bodies have been recovered, with several other people still unaccounted for.
Mr Suleiman Joel, Chairman of the Munga Youth Forum, told our correspondent on the phone that many people were killed. “We are still recovering the dead bodies, but I can tell you the casualty figure is high.
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“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? As we speak, many people are still missing.”
Just two weeks ago, suspected herders launched similar attacks in the same area, killing 15 people. The renewed violence has now plunged the already fragile communities deeper into crisis.
Residents who spoke to our correspondent said the attackers, armed with AK-47 rifles and machetes, moved from house to house, burning homes and killing anyone in sight.
“We didn’t know where to run to,” said Soja Emmanuel, a survivor. “They came around 2 a.m., shooting sporadically. People jumped out of their homes into the bush. Some didn’t make it.”
Meanwhile, Munga Lalau and Munga Doso communities held a mass burial for 42 victims of the attacks on Saturday evening amid tears, sorrow, and growing calls for justice.
Augustine Munga, a community leader who lost two of his brothers in the attack, lamented the killings and called for swift government intervention to end the bloodshed and bring the perpetrators to justice.
“The mass burial took place here in Munga Lalau and was conducted by soldiers and other security personnel,” Munga said.
