12 persons have been reportedly killed by suspected herdsmen who allegedly invaded Tattara Mada, Migini, and Angwan Barau communities in Nasarawa state.
Nigeriacrime.com gathered that the houses and other property belonging to the locals estimated at millions of naira are also razed down during the attacks.
According to a source who witnessed the incident the crisis started when a Fulani lad, allegedly led his herds and destroyed sugarcane which led to the owners of the plantation beating the herder to stupor.
According to the eyewitness account, the Fulani rearer managed to rear the cattle back to the Fulani settlement (ruga) and reported it to his parents, who resorted to giving home treatment to the boy who allegedly died in the process.
It was learnt that when the news of what happened broke out, another sugarcane farm owner went to check his plantation and met some herdsmen allegedly destroying his farm, he spoke to them and a quarrel ensued between the farmer and the herders who overpowered the farmer and macheted him to death.
“When the family couldn’t see him, they traced him to the farm and discovered that he was killed, so they brought the corpse home, thereby heightening tension because the news had gone round adjoining villages”
It was gathered that when some youths from Tattara, put up courage and went to the Fulani settlement (ruga), to know what happened, they discovered that the Fulani, had sent their wives, children and cows, away; as they were talking the Fulani men came out with arms and allegedly attacked the youths and killed one person, others escaped with various degrees of wounds
“As I speak to you, 11 corpses are in the mortuary at General Hospital Garaku, one was discovered this morning (Thursday) and some are nowhere to be found. because the Fulanis invaded our village on Tuesday shooting sporadically and people were scampering for their safety and they killed 4 persons”
“Four of our people coming from Angwan Migini and Angwan Barau, to see what was happening in Tattara, on Wednesday were ambushed and killed by the Fulani herders,” he said.
A community leader that at the moment there are high tension in Anza, Kundami, Angwan Mainasara, Angwan Takwa and parts of Garaku, the headquarters of Kokona local government.
The Member representing Karu/Keffi, Kokona Federal Constituency at the House of Representatives, Gbefwi Jonathan Gaza, who visited Tattara Mada on Wednesday condemned in strongest terms the attack which displaced many.
Gaza, who won his re-election in the just concluded elections said the killings were unnecessary, as he appealed to Mada and Fulani herdsmen, to sheath their swords and allow peace to reign in the area and the state at large.
On his part, the Chairman of Kokona local government area, Awalu Adamu, who confirmed the crisis, declined giving the actual figures of the casualties recorded.
Adamu, said the council in collaboration with security agencies are on top of the situation and assuring that peace was gradually returning to the area.
When contacted, the police public Relations Officer, PPRO Nasarawa state command, Nanham Nansel, who confirmed the incident said the figures chunked out on social media were on the high side.
He appealed to the public to always report matters within the communities in the state to the law enforcement agencies for proper action and intervention rather than taking the law into their hands.