Tension in Nasarawa as herdsmen invade community, kill five, others hospitalized

No fewer than five Tiv farmers; four females and a male have been murdered by yet-to-be-identified gunmen believed to be Fulani herders in Gidan Sule village, Keana Local Government Area of Nasarawa State.

President of Tiv Development Association in the State, Comrade Peter Ahemba, revealed this in an interview with Daily Trust in Lafia, the Nasarawa State capital on Thursday.

Ahemba stated that the gunmen stormed the village and attacked the people on Wednesday night while they were sleeping and murdered no fewer than four of them instantly while the fifth person died after being taken to the hospital.

He said: “Five persons (were) lost in Gidan Sule village in Keana LGA due to the attack by suspected Fulani herders on Wednesday night.

“Four out of the five persons were instantly murdered but one of them who we thought would survive the attack, later died in the hospital.”

“Tiv people in Nasarawa State are peace-loving people. There was no misunderstanding between my tribesmen and the suspected Fulani herders in the community so I wonder why the attack was carried out,” he said.

He, however, urged Tiv people in the community to remain calm as he was working with security agencies to restore normalcy in the community.

When contacted on phone, the Acting Chairman of Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria in the State, Bala Dabo, informed our correspondent that he had not been informed of any attack in the community.

He promised that he would investigate the incident to ensure that he gets the rationale behind the crisis.

“I have not been informed about the attack and I cannot confirm to you that my people were the ones that actually carried the attack.

“I want to assure you that the matter will be investigated so as to ascertain the true position of what really occurred in the community on Wednesday night”, he said.

While confirming the incident to our correspondent in Lafia, the Police Public Relations Officer in the State, ASP Ramhan Nansel, explained that, upon receipt of the information, a detachment of Police personnel consisting of Police Mobile Force, Counter Terrorism Unit, Vigilante and Hunters with support from the Military were drafted to the area.

According to the command’s image maker: “On 21/7/2021, at about 2300hrs, information was received that unknown gunmen while shooting sporadically, attacked a particular compound at Gidan Sule Village along Lafia – Makurdi road.

“Four corpses were recovered at the scene while three injured victims were rescued and rushed to Odumu hospital for medical attention; one person later died while receiving treatment at the same hospital.”

He admonished members of the public to always feed the command with useful information that will aid the police to protect the people better.

He promised that the gunmen who killed the villagers would be arrested and prosecuted to serve as a deterrent to others.