Lafia – Gunmen suspected to be fulani herdsmen have killed the Pastor in-charge of the Evangelical Church Winning All (ECWA), Rev. Daniel Danbeki and 37 other residents of Takalafia and Gwanja communities in Karu Local Government Area of Nasarawa State.
They were gruesomely murdered in their sleep by the attackers between Thursday night and the early hours of Friday, May 12.
Residents of adjoining communities of Gwanja, Angwan Bege, Angwan Madaki and Gidan Allah, occupied predominantly by Gwandara, Mada and Yeskwa tribes, were similarly attacked by the suspected killer herdsmen.
The residents were asleep when the attackers used the cover of the night to set their houses ablaze and inflicted gunshot and cutlass injuries on many residents.
Many of the residents were still unaccounted for as at the time of this report.
A report said that 11 additional dead victims have been found inside bush in Takalafiya and other communities and their bodies have been deposited at the mortuary of Federal Medical Centre, Keffi.
Reports said that the fulani herdsmen launched the attack to avenge the death of a cattle rearer who died earlier on Thursday in a scuffle with a farmer in Takalafia community.
A disagreement was said to have ensued between the farmer and the fulani herdsman for grazing on the newly cultivated groundnut and maize farm of the local farmer.
“As the farmer was talking to the Fulani to send his herds out of his farm, a fierce disagreement ensued and the Fulani brought out his cutlass and started fighting the farmer.
“The farmer overpowered the Fulani, snatched his cutlass and fought him back and the Fulani died in the process,” a source said.
The Executive Chairman of Karu Local Governnent, Mr James Thomas, who visited the communities has condemned the attack.
Thomas, represented by his Deputy, Lawal Yakubu Karshi, appealed for calm, promising that perpetrators will be arrested and made to face the full wrath of the law.
A mass burial was held on Saturday, May 13 for the 38 victims of the attack.
The victims included women and children killed by the suspected Fulani herdsmen in Takalafia and Gwanja communities.
The state Deputy Governor, Dr. Emmanuel Akabe, who led government delegation to the burial, condemned the killings and destruction of property worth millions of naira in the affected communities.
He said that government would investigate circumstances leading to the attacks and bring the perpetrators to book.
Akabe assured that government will provide relief materials to the displaced victims as he encouraged the communities to give credible information to the relevant authorities.
(vitalnewsngr.com)
