Reps Push for Better Security and Help for Taraba After Bandit Attack

The House of Representatives has called for immediate security and humanitarian help after a deadly bandit attack on Binnari community in Karim Lamido Local Government Area of Taraba State. This attack left between 57 and 60 people dead.

The lawmakers also urged the federal government to finish the unfinished Wase-Karim Lamido road project. They believe this will help with security operations and allow quick deployment of security personnel to affected areas.

These resolutions came after a motion of urgent public importance was raised by Mohammed Audu (APC, Taraba) during Thursday’s plenary.

Presenting the motion, Mr Audu said the attack happened on 23 October when traders and residents were at the community market. He said the attackers opened fire and killed 10 people on the spot. The panic caused many to jump into a river, increasing the death toll to between 57 and 60.

According to the lawmaker, the attackers came from forested areas in Plateau State. This includes Dutsen Zaki in Wase Local Government Area, Kukawa in Kanam Local Government Area, and areas around the Yankari Game Reserve and Gwana Mountain in Alkaleri Local Government Area of Bauchi State.

He explained that these areas share boundaries with communities in Karim Lamido, making better road access and coordinated security operations necessary to prevent more attacks. Mr Audu described the incident as unprecedented in Karim Lamido. He said the communities have suffered greatly due to the lack of access roads.

“This type of deadly attack has never taken place in Karim Lamido Local Government; the people of Karim Lamido have suffered a lot. No access road leading to all these areas,” he said.

He also mentioned another attack on 26 October in the nearby Gomben Dela community, where the attackers looted food items and seized vehicles. Thankfully, no deaths were reported in this second incident.

The lawmaker asked the House to observe a minute of silence for those killed in Binnari and neighboring villages. He further urged the federal government to improve intelligence sharing among security agencies in Taraba, Plateau, and Bauchi states to stop future attacks.

Mr Audu called on the North-East Development Commission (NEDC), the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), the National Commission for Refugees, Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons, and other humanitarian agencies to provide relief materials to affected communities. He listed building materials, food, blankets, mattresses, and mats as essential items needed to support survivors and affected families.

The motion also commended Taraba State Governor, security commanders, and other security agencies for their response to the attack. During the debate, the Minority Leader, Fred Agbedi, expressed worry about the ongoing attacks on communities across the country. He questioned whether the government was doing enough to protect lives and property.

He said the House has often faced reports of killings and destruction of property, which usually leads to motions and minutes of silence. “I remember that in 2016, on this same floor, I rose to say that the life of a Nigerian is just now worth a one-minute silence,” Mr Agbedi said.

He recognized the efforts of security personnel but argued that the scale of the attacks needs a stronger response, especially through the use of modern technology. He pointed out that attackers often invade communities, commit killings, and leave before security agencies arrive.

“The situation where criminals will go to a community, attack the community, and there is no response. They finish. They will leave, and then we start reacting. It’s like medicine after death,” he said.

Mr Agbedi questioned if the country had used enough technology to track attackers and trace their movements. He also raised issues about funding and implementing security budgets. He urged relevant House committees to move beyond just making resolutions and take real steps to improve national security.

He said lawmakers on security-related committees have a duty to work closely with security agencies and ensure proper measures are put in place to protect Nigerians. Another Taraba lawmaker, Jaafaru Yakubu, said the state and surrounding areas had seen coordinated criminal activities, including banditry and kidnapping.

Mr Yakubu said the Binnari attack was followed by another incident where attackers took food items and destroyed federal government facilities. While presiding over the plenary, Deputy Speaker Benjamin Kalu acknowledged the worries raised by Mr Agbedi but defended the federal government’s actions against insecurity.

Mr Kalu said the House’s resolutions have helped with government measures and that the legislature should not be seen as just holding sessions without results. He shared figures from government reports, stating over 13,000 terrorists were reportedly killed in the last year and an 81 percent drop in violent deaths since 2023.

He added that more than 124,000 fighters and their families have surrendered since 2023, and over 104,000 people have gone through the Safe Corridor programme in partnership with the Multinational Joint Task Force. The deputy speaker noted that the number of local government areas under insurgent control has shrunk from 17 in 2022 to six, according to data from 2025.

On weapons recovery, he mentioned that over 19,000 illegal weapons have been destroyed. Mr Kalu also pointed out an increase in security spending, with the allocation rising from ₦2.98 trillion in 2023 to ₦3.25 trillion in 2024, ₦4.91 trillion in 2025, and ₦5.4 trillion in 2026.

He added that the government has added 30,000 police personnel and expanded electronic policing initiatives. The deputy speaker said these figures show that the government is responding to the legislature’s calls and that security operations are getting results.

He maintained that the minute of silence was meant to honor the victims while the government works to reduce insecurity. “Your resolutions here, your motions here, do not end only with one minute silence. The one-minute silence is to honor those who have lost their life, but the number is shrinking by the day because the government is deliberate in making sure that the issue of insecurity is reduced, and we must give kudos to whom kudos is due. This administration has been doing tremendously well,” he said.

The House then adopted the motion through a voice vote and observed a minute of silence for those who died in the attacks. Mr Kalu referred the matter to the House Committees on the North-East Development Commission, Works, and NEMA for further action.

The referral to the works committee is expected to help consider the unfinished Wase-Karim Lamido road project, which lawmakers believe will improve access for security personnel during emergencies. The committees are expected to follow up on the House’s resolutions about road access, emergency response, and help for communities affected by the attacks.