Hundreds of women from the Munga Lelau community in the Karim Lamido Local Government Area of Taraba State, on Tuesday, thronged out en masse to protest the recent killing of their husbands amid ongoing communal violence.

Dressed in black to symbolise mourning, the women trekked several kilometres from their village to Karim, the council’s administrative headquarters.

They were also observed carrying placards with various inscriptions and green leaves, chanting sorrowful songs and calling for urgent intervention from relevant authorities.

Speaking on behalf of the protesters, their leader, Rejoice Ishmael Sunday, appealed to the state government to temporarily halt the movement of Fulani herders in the area.

She alleged that the ongoing violence amounted to “genocide” and accused certain security operatives of complicity in the attacks.

“We are being killed in our sleep. Our husbands are gone. We are crying out for help. Let the government protect us by deploying more security to stop this bloodshed,” she said.

The women also demanded fairness in the work of the judicial commission of inquiry investigating the crisis. They emphasised that justice and inclusivity in the process are vital to achieving lasting peace.

Responding to the protest, Bitrus Danjos, Chairman of the local government council, commended the women for their peaceful conduct and pledged to escalate their concerns to relevant state and federal authorities.

He reiterated the council’s commitment to working with security agencies and community stakeholders to restore peace in the area.

The protest was, however, observed to have been briefly disrupted when security operatives fired teargas at the demonstrators, citing a lack of prior notice to the police. Some of the women fled in panic, though no injuries were reported.

The protest follows a recent peace accord signed by various ethnic and community groups, including the Bandwa, Jenjo, Fulani, and Munga communities, aimed at ending months of violent clashes in the region.

It will be recalled that over 40 persons were recently killed in an attack on Munga Lelau community, with property worth millions of naira destroyed.