Pascal Arogorn Ibe
Gunmen suspected to be Fulani herdsmen, at the early hours of Saturday killed over nine persons and injured scores in Ajimaka, a Tiv settlement in Doma Local Government Area of Nasarawa State.
The killers who invaded the community at about 2:00am Saturday, started shooting sporadically and chanting war songs were allegedly carrying sophisticated weapons,
The affected victims according to an eyewitness account are women and children while others scampered for safety in the village as well as calling for help from the neighbouring villages.
When contacted, the Police Public Relations Officer in the Nasarawa, Command, ASP Ramhan Nansel said he has been receiving calls concerning the incident.
According to the PPRO, the Command was yet to receive an official report on the incident adding however that as soon as the attack is confirmed, the command would as usual step up investigation to unravel the cause of the incident.
Meanwhile he has appealed to the community in particular and the state at large not to take the law into their hands.
Resting to the incident while speaking to Journalists on the incident, President, Tiv Development Association (TIDA) in Nasarawa state, Peter Ahemba who confirmed the incident in Lafia condemned the killings and described the dastardly act as unprovoked and unfortunate.
The TIDA president regretted the attacks on Tiv people of the state, particularly those living at the border areas between Benue and Nasarawa states whom he said have become a recurrent decimal despite efforts by the Nasarawa state governor, Abdullahi Sule and his Benue counterpart, Samuel Ortom to ensure lasting peace.
According to him, “Each time the suspected Fulani herdsmen have issues relating to implementation of the anti-open grazing law by the Benue state government, they turn back to attack our (Tiv) people in Nasarawa state.
We are Tivs in Nasarawa state. We are peace-loving people. The Fulani herdsmen must stop attacking our people for things we do not know about”
While lamenting the ugly development that has led to the displacement of thousands of Tiv farmers in the area, the TIDA President said the incident was coming at the time farmers were set to commence the current farming season.
Ahemba who acknowledged the efforts by the Nasarawa state government at ensuring that peace and security is strengthened and maintained at the border areas of the state, appealed to the state government to direct the deployment of security operatives to the area to forestall reappraisal and the break down of law and order.
He called on the Tiv people to remain calm and avoid taking laws into their hands despite the unprovoked attack as the state government was taking measures to restore normalcy.
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