Iliyasu Abdullahi Bah
Hundreds of women from the Munga Lelau community in Taraba State’s Karim Lamido Local Government Area staged a massive protest on Tuesday, decrying the recent killings of their husbands amid escalating communal violence.
The women were dressed black showing sign of mourning, demand for intervention. It was reported that the women walked for miles from their village to Karim, the local government headquarters. They carried placards with heartfelt appeals and green leaves, singing mournful songs while pleading for immediate government intervention.
Rejoice Ishmael Sunday, the protest leader, spoke on behalf of the group, urging the state government to restrict the movement of Fulani herders in the area. She described the violence as “genocide” and accused some security personnel of aiding the attackers.
“We are being slaughtered in our homes. Our husbands are dead. We are begging for help and more security must be deploy to stop this massacre,”she cried out.
The protesters also called for transparency in the judicial commission investigating the crisis, stressing that fairness and accountability are crucial for sustainable peace.
Karim Lamido LGA Chairman Bitrus Danjos praised the women for their peaceful demonstration and promised to relay their grievances to higher authorities. He assured them of the council’s collaboration with security forces and community leaders to restore order.
However, the protest was momentarily interrupted when security agents fired teargas, claiming the women had not notified the police beforehand. Panic ensued as some demonstrators scattered, but no injuries were reported.
The rally comes weeks after a peace agreement was signed by ethnic groups including the Bandwa, Jenjo, Fulani, and Munga communities to halt prolonged clashes in the region.
The protest follows a deadly assault on Munga Lelau that left over 40 people dead and properties worth millions of naira in ruins.