No fewer than 11 persons have been confirmed dead, while about 50 houses were razed following renewed communal clashes in Nasarawa State, deepening concerns over persistent insecurity in the area.
The Nasarawa State Police Command disclosed that the violence occurred in Udege Development Area of Nasarawa Local Government Area, involving residents of Akyawa and Udege Kasa communities.
According to the command’s spokesperson, SP Ramhan Nansel, the deadly confrontation erupted in the early hours of Friday, reportedly as a reprisal over the alleged killing of two individuals.
He noted that the Commissioner of Police, Shetima Jauro Mohammed, visited the affected communities on April 3 to assess the situation and initiate steps towards restoring peace.
During the visit, the CP expressed deep concern over the loss of lives and destruction of property, commiserating with bereaved families and assuring residents of justice.
Police said 11 persons were killed in the attack, while about 50 houses were burnt in Akyawa and two others destroyed in Udege Kasa.
“The incident involved hoodlums suspected to have carried out a reprisal attack. In response, the Commissioner of Police has ordered a full-scale manhunt to ensure those responsible are identified, arrested, and prosecuted,” the statement said.
To forestall further breakdown of law and order, security has been reinforced in the area, with police operatives working in collaboration with the military and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps.
Authorities also confirmed that a stakeholders’ meeting was convened, where residents were urged to remain calm, law-abiding, and cooperate with security agencies by providing credible intelligence.
While the police insist that normalcy has been restored, fresh allegations from local sources suggest the attacks may have been carried out by suspected armed groups, believed to be bandits, who reportedly invaded the communities late Thursday night.
The latest violence is said to be linked to earlier unrest in nearby Sabon Gida, where properties and farmlands were destroyed, raising fears of a sustained cycle of attacks across neighbouring settlements.
Residents, however, expressed frustration over what they described as a failure of preventive security measures, alleging that the attackers had been sighted in surrounding communities before the incident.
“It is becoming unbearable. People are living in fear and fleeing their homes,” a resident lamented.
The affected communities, once known for thriving mining activities and a vibrant local economy, have in recent times come under repeated attacks, disrupting livelihoods and displacing families.
