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Nathaniel Gbaoron, Lafia
Gunmen suspected to be Fulani herdsmen last Friday night invaded Gidan Ityotyev, a Tiv farming community in Obi Local Government Area of Nasarawa State, and killed two persons as well as injuring another.
The killings at Gidan Ityotyev had happened barely two weeks after suspected herdsmen invaded Gidan Sule community in neighbouring Keana Local Government Area of the same state and killed about 10 Tiv farmers, displacing thousands.
Spokesperson for Gidan Ityotyev community, Mr. Ukpuu Teryila Abaa, gave names of the community members killed during the invasion as Moses Saaku (m) and Aondofa Saaku (m).
This was even as the spokesperson continued that the marauders chopped off the breast of one of the community members, Kwaghdoo Saaku (f).
Nevertheless, Ukpuu said the Gidan Ityotyev people took courage to stay put, despite the attack and killings in their community, and buried the dead bodies.
Ukpuu narrated to journalists that the attack on the people of the community took place at about 11:00pm on Friday when almost every member of the village had gone to bed after a tedious work on their farms.
He continued that on arrival at the village, the suspected Fulani herdsmen opened fire and shot sporadically in the community hence waking up most of the inhabitants from their beds and consequently geared up to confront the invaders.
“The invaders, noticing the resilience from people of the Gidan Ityotyev community, withdrew from their attack immediately and took to their heels after succeeding in killing two persons of the same family, and as well cutting off the breast of another female member of the community with a sword.”
The spokesperson, however, expressed worries that the people of the community were in trauma following the invasion by the suspected herdsmen, and appealed to the Nasarawa State government to provide the villagers with security personnel that will wade off another envisaged attack.
When contacted over the incident, the President of Tiv Development Association in Nasarawa State, Mr Peter Ahemba, confirmed that two people were killed and one other injured, whereas hundreds of Tiv people have been displaced in the course of the attack.
Ahemba, however, blamed the attack on what he termed “conspiracy of silence” among the political class of the two Local Governments of Obi and Keana.
“It is a conspiracy of silence fashioned against the Tiv people of the state by some tribal politicians of Obi and Keana Local Government Areas. The idea is to displace the Tiv people and consequently disenfranchise them in the 2023 general elections.
Nevertheless, when contacted, the Nasarawa State Police Command Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), DSP Ramhan Nansel, could not confirm the attack as according to him “it was yet to be reported to the state Police Command.”