The Taraba State Police Command has confirmed the abduction of eight people and the killing of one resident in the Jimlari community of Lau Local Government Area.

The incident, which occurred on Saturday night, was said to have been carried out by suspected kidnappers who stormed the community in large numbers.

According to residents, the heavily armed attackers fired sporadically, causing panic among the people.

Confirming the attack, the spokesperson of the state police command, Abdullahi Usman, stated that security forces, including the police, military, and other agencies, have been deployed to the area.

While no arrests have been made yet, he assured that efforts are underway to track down the perpetrators and bring them to justice.

Community sources who spoke with our reporter via telephone revealed that most of those abducted were children aged seven, 10, and 12.

Describing how the attackers’ superior firepower prevented them from confronting the invaders, they urged the government to put measures in place to prevent a recurrence of such incidents in the community.

“We were caught off guard. They were shooting indiscriminately, and because of their sophisticated weapons, we couldn’t mobilize to confront them,” one community member recounted.

In response to the attack, residents have called on the state government to take urgent action to secure the release of the abducted victims.

They urged authorities to strengthen collaboration with security agencies by deploying more personnel to the community to prevent further attacks.

As investigations continue, The Guardian noted that there is growing pressure on the government and security agencies to step up efforts in addressing the rising cases of insecurity in the region.