By Emmanuel Awari, Jalingo
Taraba State Governor, Dr. Agbu Kefas, has condemned the reported killings of residents in Binnari, Karim Lamido Local Government Area, Taraba State, following an attack by armed men in the early hours of Friday.
Governor Kefas described the killings as unfortunate and called on relevant security agencies to take urgent steps to restore calm, protect lives and property, and bring those responsible to justice.
He stressed that no effort must be spared in identifying and apprehending the perpetrators, regardless of their status or how highly placed they may be. He maintained that everyone involved must be held accountable in accordance with the law.
He reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to addressing insecurity and restoring lasting peace in Karim Lamido. He also highlighted ongoing efforts to facilitate the safe return of displaced persons to their communities and rebuild confidence among residents affected by previous crises.
As part of broader peacebuilding efforts, the governor recently approved ₦1 billion for the Taraba State Bureau for Peace and Conflict Management to address the aftermath of previous crises and support initiatives aimed at restoring tranquillity in Karim Lamido.
The governor condoled with the families of those killed, prayed for the repose of their souls, and urged residents to remain calm and cooperate with security agencies as they work to restore normalcy and ensure that those responsible for the attack face justice.
A resident, Mallam Abdul Kumbi, who spoke to our correspondent by telephone, described the incident as a planned and unprovoked attack, alleging that the assailants came from outside the area.
Kumbi said the attackers reportedly entered the community from Bauchi State through the Kompani Asusar road before launching the assault on Binnari, a settlement located along the River Benue.
According to him, the assailants arrived on more than 40 motorcycles, with each motorcycle carrying three people armed with guns and cutlasses.
“The attackers came through Bauchi. They targeted our community just as Juma’at prayers ended on Friday. There is a vigilante group office very close to the mosque, and they targeted the vigilante personnel and killed many of them.
“They also killed worshippers who had just come out of the mosque. After the killings, they used their motorcycles to return through the same road they came from,” Kumbi said in Hausa.
He expressed concern over the scale of the violence and the whereabouts of residents who remained missing after the attack.
However, the reported death toll of 26 could not be independently confirmed at the time of filing this report.
Confirming the incident, the spokesperson of the Taraba State Police Command, Mr. Victor Msherizar, said 10 people were killed in the attack.
He said the command had deployed security personnel to the area to track down the assailants and prevent further attacks.
Msherizar added that normalcy had returned to the community, while security operatives remained on standby to respond to any further threats.
The discrepancy between the casualty figure provided by the resident and the number confirmed by the police could not be immediately reconciled.
The attack has heightened fears among residents of Binnari, with the reported displacement and missing persons adding to concerns over the security of rural communities in the area.
Residents of the community reportedly said armed men invaded Binnari, resulting in the loss of lives.