A mass burial was held in Taraba State following a deadly attack by suspected herders who murdered dozens of villagers in Ussa Local Government Area.
The attack, carried out over the weekend, was seen to target several communities, with gunmen reportedly moving from house to house, shooting their occupants and burning down houses. The survivors indicate that the attack was sudden and brutal, with several families left in shock and mourning.
The witnesses recalled the herders arriving armed with heavy guns, shooting anyone they could get. Security personnel were yet to reach when most of the villagers had been murdered or severely injured.
The local government on Sunday carried out a mass burial in which over 40 victims of the attack were laid to rest. Neighbors gathered in mourning as victims were buried side by side in shallow graves.
A local young leader said, “We have been crying for decades. This is not the first, but it’s the worst. We are being killed, and nobody is protecting us.”
The Taraba State government denounced the attack and promised to send more security to the area. In a press release, officials cited that they are working together with the military and police forces to ensure that the incidents do not repeat themselves and to bring perpetrators to justice.
Ussa LGA Chairman Hon. Bala Bako validated the number of casualties and called the killings an unambiguous act of terrorism. He called on the federal government to act with haste to secure farming settlements, especially at borders.
Farmer-herder conflicts have increased in all parts of Nigeria due to land disputes, grazing paths, and limited resources. The conflicts tend to end in violent attacks, especially in the Middle Belt and northern states.
Inhabitants of the regions are demanding urgent intervention in the form of setting up permanent security posts, military patrol deployment, and long-term measures to stop the cycles of bloodshed.
Currently, villages exist in fear, and survivors are migrating to safety towns and displacement camps.
