Nasarawa crisis: Death toll rises to 25

AT the early hours of Monday morning, two soldiers were confirmed dead, the team leader, reportedly missing and several others injured in a Fulani, Agatu and Eggon communal crisis in Kokona Local Government of Nasarawa State.

Nigerian Tribune findings revealed that the two soldiers that were killed during the exchange of fire between the people suspected to be Fulani herdsmen were from 7 Guards Battalion, Lunigi Barracks in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Abuja.

Further investigations by Nigerian Tribune also revealed that the two soldiers who lost their lives in the battle with the people suspected to be Fulani nomadic who were numbered over three hundred, well-armed engaged the military men who were at the scene of the incident to calm the situation, were said to have been hired from Cameroon and Chad to assist them to fight the Eggons.

Confirming the incident to Nigerian Tribune in Lafia, the state capital, in an exclusive interview, a member of Nasarawa State House of Assembly, representing Kokona West, under the platform of People Democratic Party (PDP), Honourable Danladi Jatau said soldiers were killed in the skirmishes, but he did not know the number of soldiers that were killed in the crisis.

The member, who expressed worry over the incident said those that were injured in the crisis were admitted in an undisclosed hospital in the state.

He appealed to both the State Government and Federal Government to come to their aid by providing adequate security to the prone areas in order to avoid the escalation of the crisis.

He, however, told Nigerian Tribune that the fight which claimed the lives of Eggon nationalities, Alexander E. Yohanna and Lugard Atsevego among others began on the December 8, 2012 when two Eggon youths were on their farm land at Angwan Urume village when people suspected to be Fulani herdsmen lunched an attack and murdered them.

“Three days after the people suspected to be Fulani murdered the two sons of Eggon on their farm land a woman was allegedly matched by the suspected Fulani nomadic in a village called Ruwa Doma”. Mr. Jatau explained.

He continued: “on Wednesday January 9, I received a called from the people of Anjeri-Bala, Bulus and Kenya that there was a road block by the Fulani youths along foot path from Anjeri-Bulus-Riwa Doma when two Eggon youths on a motorcycle were going home from Anjeri-Bulus to their village in Ruwa Doma when they came across the road block,
In the process to dismantle the heavy sticks used to barricade the road, eventually they met their untimely death as they were taken unaware by the suspected Fulani youths who opened fire on the three of them, who were on a motorcycle,

But the remaining two who sustained injuries managed to scampered for their dear lives as they ran into a nearby Anjeri village as well as Ruwa Doma,”.

According to him, people have deserted from Anjeri-Bulus, Bala, Kenya and Ruwa -Doma, Karbas and Sarkoto, Taba-Usman, Gindan- Akure, Bassa, Agwan Jalla, Yelwa as the village because the entire village was completely razed down by the people suspected to be Fulani herdsmen.

He further told Nigerian Tribune that on the Wednesday 16th of January the suspected Fulani cattle realer re-enforced themselves again and invaded Yelwa, Ruwa Doma and Sarkoto and burned down over one hundred houses were destroyed and properties worth millions of naira damaged.

Honourable Jatau called on the parties to lay down their harms and embrace with one another, noting that there would no meaningful development in the atmosphere of rancor.