News
Renewed Taraba Attacks Leave Over 30 Residents Dead, Many Injured
By Kayode Sanni-Arewa
Over thirty persons have been killed and many others injured following an attack by suspected herders on a farming community in Munga Lelau of Karim Lamido Local Government Area of Taraba State.
The incident followed a mutual suspicion between farmers and herders as to the whereabouts of their cattle. This led to attacks and counterattacks by neighbours who have lived for decades as one entity.
The victims were given a mass burial within the community as their tradition demands for anyone killed during a crisis.
Unlike another attack, which claimed two lives in the Bandawa community after a farmer confronted the attackers for encroaching on his farm with their cattle, eyewitnesses say these assailants came on motorcycles. They shot sporadically and set some buildings in the village ablaze.
The attacks took place over the weekend in the North-Central state
Residents say they have lived peacefully for decades with the Fulani tribe and alleged that it’s a case of compromise by security agencies and masterminded by their neighbours
One of the affected residents, Alpharis Philemon, described the incident as disheartening.
”It is something that we never expected. The whole people of Munga are heartbroken. From time immemorial, we lived in peace with the Fulanis, and no one can actually tell you what led to this ugly situation,” he said.
”We do not have a history of conflict between Munga and the Fulani. In my observation, it is an issue of land grabbing. The rainy season has started, and whenever there is a crisis, our people cannot go too far, and they’ll use their farms for grazing.
”The security is compromised and I can say this without any fear or contradiction because Munga Lelau and Karim, the headquarters of Karim Lamido, is just a seven-minute drive. So, if there is an incident, we expect the security to have responded.
”For more than two hours, the military did not come to our rescue. I think the military and the police have questions to answer.”
Chairman of Karim Lamido local government area, Bitrus Danjos, who could not hold back his tears and was assisted out of the mass burial scene, described the incident as barbaric.
He wondered why victims did not seek redress in the court of law but rather took the law into their own hands.
According to him, his local government area shares a porous boundary with five states of Adamawa, Bauchi, Gombe, Nasarawa, and Plateau, which makes them susceptible to attacks by bandits.
He said many people have already been displaced and are seeking succour from the government and non-governmental organizations.
The Taraba State Governor, Agbu Kefas, in a press statement issued by his Special Adviser on Media and Digital Communication, Emmanuel Bello, described the attack as horrendous and unacceptable.
Governor Kefas warned that the aggressors would suffer great repercussions going forward, even as he reiterated his commitment to continue to secure the state from external attacks and other forms of aggression.
Members of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) staged a peaceful protest on Tuesday at the office of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Dutse, Jigawa State.
They are demanding that INEC formally recognise the party’s national leadership led by David Mark.
The protest comes amid growing political tension in the state, as internal party disputes and defections intensify ahead of party primaries and the next general elections.
According to reports, the protesters marched to the INEC office in the state capital without incident and submitted a petition to the commission.
Speaking after the protest, the Jigawa ADC Youth Leader, Manniru Aminu, accused INEC of overstepping its authority and said the commission cannot determine legal disputes involving court rulings.
“INEC does not have the constitutional power to interpret court rulings. That responsibility lies with the judiciary,” he said.
The group also claimed that INEC is not acting neutrally in handling internal party issues, which they described as a threat to democratic fairness.
They insisted that the leadership of the ADC under David Mark remains the only legitimate and constitutionally recognised structure of the party.
The protesters demanded that INEC immediately restore the Mark-led leadership on its official records and website.
They also called for a public apology from the commission and urged that those responsible for the alleged bias be held accountable.
President Bola Tinubu has approved the appointment of Fatima Zuntu as the director-general and chief executive officer of the National Biosafety Management Agency (NBMA).
In a statement on Monday, Chris Ugwuegbulam, head of information and public relations at the office of the secretary to the government of the federation, said the appointment takes effect from April 16.
Ugwuegbulam said Zuntu will serve an initial term of four years, in line with section 5 of the National Biosafety Management Agency Act, 2015.
He said Zuntu is a public health professional and policy strategist with experience in implementing national programmes.
Ugwuegbulam said the president has tasked the new NBMA boss to deploy her expertise towards advancing the agency’s mandate.
Zuntu’s appointment comes amid ongoing scrutiny over leadership qualifications at the biosafety agency.
In December 2025, a non-governmental organisation filed a freedom of information (FOI) request seeking to verify the academic and professional credentials of Bello Bwari, the former NBMA director-general.
The group raised concerns that Bwari, a lawyer by training, may not have met the statutory requirements for the role, noting that section 5 of the NBMA Act stipulates that the agency’s head must possess at least a master’s degree in biological sciences or a related field.
The NGO’s request, submitted to the federal ministry of environment, asked the government to disclose documents relating to Bwari’s qualifications and the process leading to his appointment.
The organisation criticised the lack of transparency, warning that such issues could undermine public confidence in biosafety regulation and scientific governance in Nigeria.
The group said the outcome of the FOI request could set a precedent for accountability in regulatory agencies, particularly those overseeing public health, environmental protection, and biotechnology.
The Labour Party has released the list of chairmen and members of its electoral subcommittees ahead of its forthcoming nationwide congresses scheduled across the country.
In a statement issued on Tuesday and signed by the Senior Special Adviser on Media to the Interim National Chairman, Ken Asogwa, the party announced the constitution of the committees to oversee the conduct of ward, local government, and state congresses.
According to the party, the ward congresses are scheduled for Thursday, April 23, 2026, while local government congresses will be held on Friday, April 24, 2026. The state congresses are fixed for Saturday, April 25, 2026.
The subcommittees, which the party said are composed of “experienced and respected party members”, have been mandated to ensure smooth conduct of the exercises in their respective states.
The appointed chairmen are, “Hon. Iheanacho Obioma (Abia); Francis Kim (Adamawa); Ekong Philip Solomon (Akwa Ibom); Chief Tony Asuoha (Anambra); Malam Mustapha Adamu (Bauchi); Beredugo Ebimonyo (Bayelsa); Chief John A. A. Ochoga (Benue); Comrade Buratai (Borno); Urom P. Iyang (Cross River); Hon. Chuks Onitsha (Delta); Chief Mitchell Nwabueze (Ebonyi); Comrade Dr. Saliu Edogiawerie (Edo); Comrade Usman Mohammed (Niger); Owolabi Ezekiel (Ogun); Charles Afolabi (Ondo); Balogun Ibrahim (Osun); Babatunde Yusuf (Oyo); Fakorede Matthew (Ekiti); Dr. David Ogba (Enugu); Comrade Adoga S. Knaabayi (Gombe); Hon. Chinagorom Nwankpa (Imo); Comrade Mustapha Garba (Jigawa); Dr. Emmanuel Barau (Kaduna); Comrade Kabiru Said (Kano); Pastor Ishaku Izang (Plateau); Hon. Amaobi Ogah (Rivers); Professor Muhamuda Muhammad (Sokoto); Barrister Jesse Williams (Taraba); Mukhtar Hassan (Yobe); Haila Ayuba Baja (Zamfara); Comrade Ismail Bello (Katsina); Comrade Muh’d H. Birnin (Kebbi); Hon. Samuel Ajare (Kogi); Bodunde David Adebayo (Kwara); Chukwuemeka Ogbanna (Lagos); Comrade Dr. Muttaqa Yushau (Nasarawa); and Comrade Rose Uba-Anarah (Federal Capital Territory).”
In her message to the subcommittee members, the National Chairman of the party, Senator Nenadi Usman, urged them to discharge their duties with fairness, transparency, and integrity, stressing the importance of the party’s core values.
She said they must remain guided by the principles of “equal opportunity and social justice”, adding that the credibility of the party must be upheld throughout the congress process.
The party also reaffirmed that its National Convention will hold on Tuesday, 28th April 2026, in Umuahia, Abia State, expressing confidence that all arrangements are in place to ensure a smooth and hitch-free exercise.
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