Hundreds of women from the Munga Lelau community in Karim Lamido Local Government Area of Taraba State staged a peaceful protest to condemn the recent killing of their husbands in the wake of ongoing communal violence.
Clad in black attire to signify mourning, the women marched several kilometers from their village to Karim, the administrative headquarters of the council.
Carrying placards with various messages and holding green leaves, a traditional symbol of peace, they chanted sorrowful songs and demanded urgent government intervention.
Speaking on behalf of the protesters, Rejoice Ishmael Sunday appealed to the Taraba State Government to temporarily suspend the movement of Fulani herders in the area.
She alleged that the continued attacks on their community amounted to “genocide” and accused some security personnel of aiding the assailants.
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“We are being killed in our sleep. Our husbands are gone. We are crying out for help. Let the government protect us by deploying more security to stop this bloodshed,” she lamented.
The women also urged the state government to ensure transparency and fairness in the activities of the judicial commission of inquiry currently investigating the crisis. According to them, justice and inclusivity are essential to achieving lasting peace in the troubled region.
In response, Chairman of Karim Lamido Local Government Council, Bitrus Danjos, commended the women for conducting themselves peacefully and promised to forward their concerns to the relevant authorities at both state and federal levels. He reaffirmed the council’s commitment to collaborating with security agencies and community leaders to restore peace.
However, the protest was briefly interrupted when security personnel reportedly fired teargas at the demonstrators, citing the absence of prior notification to the police. Some of the women fled in panic, but no injuries were reported.
The protest comes in the wake of a recent peace agreement signed by several ethnic groups, including the Bandwa, Jenjo, Fulani, and Munga communities, aimed at ending months of deadly clashes in the area.
It will be recalled that more than 40 people were recently killed in an attack on the Munga Lelau community, during which properties worth millions of naira were also destroyed.
