From Esther Akaa, Lafia
Gunmen suspected to be herdsmen have killed two persons and injured another in Gidan Ityotyev, a Tiv farming community in Obi Local Government Area of Nasarawa State.
The Voice reports that there have been series of attacks on Tiv communities in the state for the past two weeks
The Voice also reports that the most recent attack occured in Gidan Sule, Keana Local Government Area of the state when the suspected herdsmen invaded the community and killed about 10 Tiv farmers, displacing thousands.
Speaking on Saturday in a telephone interview with The Voice, spokesperson for Gidan Ityotyev community, Mr Abaa Ukpuu, said the incident occurred on Friday at about 11:00pm when almost every member of the village had gone to bed after a tedious day of work on their farms.
He explained that on arrival at the village, the suspected 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.
Ukpuu gave names of the community members killed during the invasion as Moses Saaku (m) and Aondofa Saaku (m), saying that the gunmen chopped off the breast of one of the community members, Kwaghdoo Saaku (f).
“The invaders noticing the resilience from people of 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,” he said.
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.
He, however, expressed worry that the people of the community were in trauma following the invasion by the suspected herdsmen.
Therefore, he appealed to the Nasarawa State government to provide the villagers with security personnel that will wade off another envisaged attack.
Confirming the incident, the President of Tiv Development Association in Nasarawa State, Mr Peter Ahemba, said 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.
When contacted, the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) in the state, DSP Ramhan Nansel, could not confirm the incident as according to him, “it was yet to be reported to the Police Command in the state.”
Meanwhile, the state government is yet to issue a statement since the recent ongoing attacks in the state for the past two weeks.
