Nasarawa: Herdsmen kill seven in midnight raid

Again, gunmen believed to be Fulani herdsmen yesterday raided Kadarko community in Keana Local Government Area of Nasarawa State and killed at least seven people. Witnesses said that the herdsmen invaded the community about 1a.m. when residents were in bed and opened fire on them indiscriminately.

According to them, seven people were killed while others were injured. One of the survivors, Mr. Joe Kur, told our correspondent in an interview during a visit to the area that he was woken up by heavy gunshots about 1a.m. and had to scamper to safety. He said that the gunmen shot sporadically which forced him to scamper to safety.


The survivor gave the names of those killed to include Ioryan Tete, Saka Lege, Abraham Igba, Pius Tarbo, Iorga Tyouh and Ngustine Yaagee. Governor Tanko Al-Makura immediately visited the community to sympathise with the families of the deceased. He described the incident as unfortunate.

The governor said that a unit of mobile police would be deployed in the area to protect lives and property of the residents, just as he said that a military patrol would be deployed to cordon off the area to forestall further attacks.

Al-Makura, therefore, advised the residents in the trouble area not to flee their homes as government had taken measures to safeguard their lives and property. He urged them not to migrate out of the community as, according to him, doing so would escalate fright in other places.

However, parts of Kadarko community such as Gaav Giza, Gidan Ngur, Sarkin Noma and Akanga were deserted by the inhabitants for fear of being attacked by the marauding herdsmen.

Meanwhile, speaking at an emergency security meeting attended by heads of security chiefs in the state, Al-Makura directed the immediate deployment of a unit of mobile police to protect lives and property of residents of the troubled area.

Besides, the governor also directed the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) to immediately provide relief materials to the displaced persons to cushion their hardship, just as he requested for air surveillance to detect suspicious movements within the border communities between Nasarawa and Benue states.

Al-Makura disclosed that he was in touch with his Benue State counterpart, Samuel Ortom, to discuss ways to find lasting peace in the border communities of the two states.

New Telegraph