Hundreds of women from the Munga Lelau community in Karim Lamido Local Government Area of Taraba State staged a peaceful protest on Tuesday over the killing of their husbands during ongoing communal violence.
Dressed in black to mourn their loss, the women walked several kilometers to Karim, the council’s headquarters. They carried placards with different messages and green leaves, singing sorrowful songs as they demanded government action.
The leader of the protest, Rejoice Ishmael Sunday, urged the state government to temporarily stop the movement of Fulani herders in the area. She described the violence as “genocide” and accused some security personnel of being involved in the attacks.
“We are being killed in our sleep. Our husbands are gone. We need help. Let the government protect us by sending more security to stop this bloodshed,” she said.
The women also called on the state government to ensure fairness and inclusivity in the work of the Judicial Commission of Inquiry set up to investigate the crisis. They emphasized that justice is key to achieving lasting peace.
In response, the council chairman, Bitrus Danjos, praised the women for protesting peacefully and assured them that their concerns would be taken to the appropriate authorities. He also confirmed the council’s commitment to working with security forces and community leaders to restore peace.
However, the protest was briefly disrupted when security officers fired teargas at the crowd, claiming they were not informed about the demonstration beforehand. Some women ran for safety, but no injuries were reported.
This protest comes shortly after a peace agreement was signed by various ethnic and community groups Bandwa, Jenjo, Fulani, and Munga aimed at ending months of violent clashes in the area.
It is worth noting that over 40 people were recently killed in the Munga Lelau community, with properties worth millions of naira destroyed.
