The Munga Development Association (MUDA) has declared a three-day period of mourning to honor victims of recent deadly attacks by suspected herders in Munga Lelau and Munga Dosso communities, located in Karim-Lamido Local Government Area of Taraba State.
The announcement was made on Saturday by MUDA’s National President, Shamah W. Ezra, during a press conference held in Jalingo, the state capital. He described the attacks, which occurred on Friday, May 23, as “unprovoked” and “devastating.”
According to Ezra, the coordinated assault claimed the lives of more than 40 people, forced mass burials, displaced scores of residents, and destroyed homes, food stores, and properties valued in millions of naira.
“The scale of destruction and the level of violence inflicted on our people is unimaginable. Many victims remain unaccounted for,” Ezra stated.
He added that the attackers were reportedly armed men dressed in military camouflage and riding high-speed motorcycles. Despite the proximity of military and police formations in Karim town—just 20 minutes away—no security intervention was recorded during the incident.
MUDA also refuted media reports claiming the attacks were reprisals following an alleged assault by Munga Lelau youths on Fulani settlements. Ezra dismissed such accounts as misleading and inaccurate.
Providing background to the conflict, Ezra said the violence was triggered in Bandawa where a Fulani herder allegedly killed a local farmer. The incident, he claimed, escalated into targeted attacks by armed militias that left seven Munga-Dosso residents and two from Munga-Lelau dead in Ngurore Jabu.
The association expressed alarm over what it described as a worsening security situation in Karim-Lamido, warning that continued instability could threaten the region’s economy—particularly the vital Fadama dry season farming, which attracts farmers from across northern Nigeria.
Calling for urgent intervention, MUDA appealed to both state and federal governments to act decisively to end the cycle of violence. Ezra stressed that any future peace and reconciliation report must go beyond bureaucratic paperwork and be implemented with seriousness and urgency.
“The principle of ‘live and let live’ must be upheld,” Ezra said. “The alleged intention by herders to displace indigenous communities and seize ancestral lands must be firmly resisted.”
While acknowledging the prompt reaction of Taraba State Governor Dr. Agbu Kefas to the attacks, MUDA urged the state government to intensify efforts to ensure justice and long-term peace for the affected communities.
“The need for the governor to take additional, legitimate steps to secure justice for our people cannot be overstated,” Ezra concluded.
The declared mourning period takes effect immediately as grieving communities seek justice and lasting solutions to the persistent threat of violence in the region.