Senate Seeks Security Offensive After 80 Killed In Taraba Attack

The senate has called for an urgent security offensive in border communities across Taraba, Plateau and Bauchi states following reports that about 80 people were killed by armed bandits in Binnari community, Karim Lamido Local Government Area of Taraba State.

The lawmakers urged security agencies to establish additional security camps and intensify surveillance in the affected communities to prevent further attacks, protect vulnerable residents and restore peace.

The resolutions followed a motion of urgent national importance moved by Senator Isa Shuaibu Lau during plenary on Wednesday, amid growing concerns over recurring attacks on rural communities and the rising death toll from the latest violence.

Moving the motion, Lau expressed concern over the killing of innocent and defenceless civilians, warning that persistent attacks had heightened fear, displaced residents and disrupted community life.

He said the continued activities of armed bandits in rural communities undermined the government’s constitutional responsibility to protect lives and property.

The senate warned that failure to address the recurring attacks could lead to further loss of lives, destruction of property, displacement of residents and worsening humanitarian challenges.

The lawmakers stressed that no community should be left at the mercy of armed criminal groups, urging security agencies to take decisive action against the perpetrators and prevent further bloodshed.

Beyond the security response, the Senate urged the National Emergency Management Agency and the North-East Development Commission to urgently provide relief materials to communities affected by the attacks.

The lawmakers also observed a minute’s silence in honour of the victims.

The reported death toll has varied, with subsequent community reports putting the number of fatalities at 50, while the senate cited about 80 deaths in its call for intensified security operations across the affected border areas.

The attack on Binnari occurred on Friday, October 23, shortly after Jumu’ah prayers, when gunmen reportedly invaded the community at about 3 p.m., firing sporadically and looting food items from shops and residential houses.

The attackers were also reported to have set shops and motorcycles ablaze, triggering panic among residents and worsening the destruction in the community.

The gunmen were suspected to have crossed into Taraba from neighbouring Plateau State, raising concerns about the vulnerability of border communities and the need for coordinated security operations across state boundaries.

The senate’s intervention comes amid persistent security challenges in parts of the North-East and North-Central, where armed groups continue to threaten rural settlements, disrupt livelihoods and expose residents to displacement and humanitarian hardship.