Herdsmen Kill Seven In Nasarawa, Another Thirty Dead In Communal Clash

Herdsmen killing

Tiv Farmers Attacked By Herdsmen

The Tiv farmers at Ihuman village in the Awe Local Government Area of Nasarawa State, were attacked by some hoodlums who are suspected to be herdsmen on Wednesday, an event which led to the killing of seven persons.

Information obtained by Naija News has it that the hoodlums, invaded the community with sophisticated weapons, at about 5pm, and started shooting at the villagers.

Report has it that the victims, who had gone back to the village to take some food items in their homes were attacked by the herdsmen who had hid themselves in the bush and opened fire on them.

Mr. Philip Dodo, who is a resident of the area, and was lucky to survive the attack, revealed that three of his relations were still missing at the time of speaking with newsmen.

Peter Ahemba, the President of the Tiv Youth Organisation in Nasarawa State, while having an interview with newsmen described the attacks as “unfortunate.”

He said, “For us the indigenous Tiv people of Nasarawa State, we have no any other place to run to, and that is why we continuously count on our Governor, Tanko Al-Makura, for a solution to this unfortunate development.

“We appreciate the efforts being made by the state government and other stakeholders towards the restoration of peace to our communities but we can only stop crying to the authorities when a solution is finally found.”

John Kennedy, the Police Public Relations Officer of the Nasarawa State Command, in a chat with Punch on the telephone said that he had not been briefed about the attack.

He said, “The command has yet to be briefed on the attack on Ihuman village in the Awe Local Government Area of Nasarawa State.”

Meanwhile, the death toll in the communal clashes in the Toto Local Government Area of the state has risen to 30, Bassa community has claimed.  The incident started with an attack on Sebu village at about 10.30pm on Monday.

Duniya Moreh, the Public Relations Officer of the Bassa Cultural and Development Union in Nasarawa State, disclosed this in a statement issued in Lafia on Wednesday.

He said, “No fewer than 30 Bassa persons have been murdered with many still missing and unaccounted for. This figure includes women and children, whom it is universally accepted, should be spared and unharmed in a situation of crisis.

“It is disheartening that over 50,000 Bassa persons are currently displaced and living in the surrounding local government areas of the state. Many more are still in the bushes trying to find their way out of the local government area.”

He traced the crisis to an inter-communal clash that took place in Kogi State.

“True to their threats, the Egbura, on Sunday, April 22, 2018, kidnapped two Bassa brothers from the same parents who are residing in Umaisha town. The boys, Ephraim Gunu and Manaseh Gunu, have not been found till date and are presumed to have been murdered.”

It was also learnt that unidentified gunmen attacked Bassa village at about 5.30am on Monday.

Following the development, a former Nigeria Ambassador to Poland, Dr Samuel Jimba, called on both the national and state emergency management agencies to immediately open up Internally Displaced Persons camps within the local government and send relief materials to the victims of the clash scattered in various parts of the state and the Federal Capital Territory.

He called for a total cessation of the clashes and a return to dialogue towards lasting peace in the Toto Local Government Area.