Eight feared killed in an early morning raid in Nasarawa

No fewer than eight people were feared dead during an early morning raid on Agbashi, headquarters of Ekye Development Area of Nasarawa state.

Eyewitness account said some Fulani gunmen invaded Agbashi town at about 6a.m. on Monday and killed about eight persons, and also set many houses ablaze.

The cause of the attack was not immediately known as at press time, but sources said the action of Fulani gumen might be a reprisal to avenge the death of their kinsmen who were allegedly attacked and killed at a mosque during prayer by some Agatu people in area.

Sources said that apart from those killed, scores of others sustained various degrees of gunshots ,while hundreds were also displaced by the incident.

It was gathered that two Fulani men were allegedly slaughtered at Juma’aa mosque in Agbashi last weekend by some people in the area believe to be Agatu.

Gunshots were still being heard just as fire was still burning in Agbashi at the time of filling this report, just as security personnel were sighted in trucks heading towards the crisis area to curtail the violence.

In a related development, soldiers gunned down five persons at Tudun Wada along Lafia-Doma raod ,a suburb of Lafia,the state capital for shooting soldiers who were on patrol to curtail crisis that erupted between Fulani and Eggon in Burumburum in Doma local government area.

One of the four wounded soldiers, Bayo who was first treated at New Era Clinic in Doma and later moved to the Dalhatu Specialist Hospital, Lafia was in a critical condition as at the time of filling this report.

Meanwhile,soldiers have taken over the Eggon dominated Tudun Wada village in search of militia group who reportedly opened fire on the soldiers, just as fire was seen burning in the village.

When contacted for comments, Deputy Public Relations Officer, PPRO, Nasarawa State Police Command, Conerlius Ochili, an Assistan Suprintendant of police,said the command was yet to receive formal report on the incident.