56 Victims of Herdsmen Attack Given Mass Burial in Taraba

Fifty Six people killed in a fresh attacks on five communities in Lau Local Government Area of Taraba State by Fulani militia were on Wednesday given mass burial by the local communities.

Besides, the corpses of no fewer than 35 people who are believed to have been killed during the attack are yet to be recovered for burial.

Donadda, Lavoro, Katibu, Didango and Maku communities were attacked last Monday through Tuesday by the Fulani militia who set the entire communities ablaze after killing every human in sight.

There was outpouring of emotions as relations of the victims and others who witnessed the burial wept uncontrollably and rained curses on the federal government for failing to secure the lives of the citizenry across the country.

They debunked insinuations that the attacks was a fall out of the crisis between Bachama and Fulani insisting that they were attacked without provocation.

Narrating her ordeal, a mother of four who lost her husband to the attack, Mrs. Paulina Habila, said  her husband was slaughtered like a goat.

"My husband was slaughtered like a goat in my presence by the fulani people. They razed down our community and in my village alone 35 persons were killed. Are the Fulani herdsmen fighting war with christian communities in Taraba state. Why are they killing us for no reason", she quizzed.

Another victim who spoke newsmen, Pastor Titus Makovini said that their attackers entered the community church and slaughtered some worshipers as well as some of those who ran into the church for refuge while others fled into the bush.

He revealed that for the two days that the attack lasted, there was no security reinforcements in the various communities which are presently deserted as most people have moved into the internally displaced persons camp in Jalingo, the state capital.

At the IDP camp, the displaced people took turns to narrate their ordeal as all of them were unanimous that they have been rendered homeless and they can not go back to their homes due to fear of further attacks.

 

"We have lost our ancestral homes as the entire communities have been razed down. Our communities have become unsafe for habitation since Fulani herdsmen still lurk around and they might attack us again.

"Go to our villages now. All what we have labour for has gone. We don't know where to start and we keep wondering if President Buhari is after us by allowing his kinsmen to kill us unchallenged," he stated.