Gunmen, suspected to be Fulani herdsmen, in the early hours of Saturday, April 24, reportedly attacked Ajimaka, a Tiv farming community, in Doma Local Government Area of Nasarawa State, killing nine persons, while several others were reported missing.
The gunmen, who were said to bear sophisticated weapons, invaded the community at about 2:00am, shooting sporadically.
CompassNG gathered that most of the victims were majorly women and children, scampering for safety during the invasion of the area by the suspected Fulani herdsmen.
An eyewitness gave names of some of the persons massacred during the attack to include: Tsekaa Chiatyo, m; Kwaghdoo Tsekaa, f; Sewuese Tsekaa, f; Bobo Chiatyo, m; Aondoseer Fidelis, m; Aboyi Aduku, m; and Mwuese Aseer, m.
President of Tiv Development Association, TIDA)l, in Nasarawa State, Comrade Peter Ahemba, confirmed the incident during a chat with journalists in Lafia, describing the attack as unprovoked and unfortunate.
Regretting that the attacks on the Tiv people of the state, particularly those living at the border areas between Benue and Nasarawa states, have become a recurring decimal, despite efforts by the Nasarawa State governor, Abdullahi Sule and his Benue counterpart, Samuel Ortom, to ensure lasting peace, he said, “Each time the Fulani herdsmen have issues relating to implementation of the anti-open grazing law by the Benue State government, they come and attack our (Tiv) people in Nasarawa State.
“We are indigenous Tiv people of Nasarawa State. We are peace-loving people and the Fulani herdsmen must stop attacking our people for things they know nothing about.”
The Tiv leader lamented that the ugly development has led to the displacement of thousands of Tiv farmers in the area, regretting that the incident was happening at a critical time farmers were set to commence the current farming season.
The TIDA President acknowledged the efforts by the Nasarawa State government to ensure peace and security at the border areas of the state, and appealed to the state government to direct deployment of security operatives to the troubled area to forestall further breakdown of law and order.
He also 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.
When the Nasarawa State Police Command was contacted over the killings, the Police Public Relations Officer of the Nasarawa State Police Command, ASP Nansel Ramhan, said the command was yet to receive any report on any occurence of such an incident from the area.
