Suspected Herdsmen Kill 16 At Naming In Nasarawa

Unidentified gunmen believed to be Fulani herdsmen have invaded Numa village in the Andaha community of the Akwanga Local Government Area of Nasarawa State.

During the attack, which occurred on Sunday, the herdsmen killed 16 people, including a 100-year- old man, during a naming ceremony.

The people killed were from the Mada ethnic group in the state. It was learnt that the suspected herdsmen raped a Mada girl to death.

The senator representing Nasarawa North senatorial District at the National Assembly, Philip Gyunka, who confirmed the incident to The PUNCH in Akwanga, the headquarters of Akwanga Local Government Area, stated that the victims, comprising a man, his wife and their son, were killed during the attack.

Gyunka, who described the killings as unfortunate and barbaric, said, “The unfortunate thing is that the victims-the father, mother and their boy-were killed. A pregnant woman was involved in this attack. An aged person, above 100 years, was also involved in the attack. They did not spare women or children and these were the people that didn’t have arms.”

He said he recently moved a motion on the floor of the Senate calling on the Federal Government to establish a military base in Akwanga.

Gyunka said, “You can see the increase in kidnappings and robberies on the Akwanga – Abuja Road. This is as result of people moving with weapons unchecked.”

Also, the Paramount ruler of the Mada, HRH Samuel Gamu-Yare, in an interview with one of our correspondents said 16 persons were killed during the attack.

He said, “We have 16 deaths while several others were critically injured. The attack on this community occurred within a short period. The militias met people during the naming ceremony and they resorted to sporadic shooting.

“It is quite unfortunate and devastating that a peaceful and law-abiding community like mine, which over decades have never involved in skirmishes either internally or externally, would be attacked by Fulani herdsmen when in a celebratory mood..”

The Commissioner of Police, Nasarawa State Command, Mr Bola Longe, could not be reached on the phone as of the time of filling in this report neither had he responded to a text message sent to his mobile phone.