Herdsmen Attack: Death Toll Rises To 78 In Nasarawa

The number of fatalities in last weekend’s herdsmen attacks on Tiv villages in Nasarawa state has risen to 78, just as the search for casualties continued in the affected communities. The coordinated attacks have led to the sacking of all Tiv communities across Obi, Awe, Doma and Keana Local Government Areas of the state with over 100,000 persons taking refuge in the headquarters and other villages in the affected Local Governments. President, Tiv Youth Organisation in Nasarawa state, Comrade Peter Ahemba, confirmed the new figures in an interview with newsmen in Lafia Tuesday According to the Tiv youth president, more dead bodies have been recovered from Uluji, Ayaakeke, Uvirkaa, Usula, noting that most of the victims were those trapped in villages along Agwatashi-Jangwa road in Obi Local Government. “We are still searching for many of our people missing since the attacks occurred. The corpses of those killed, especially at Kertyo last Sunday and surrounding villages have not been recovered up till now that I speak with you” Meanwhile, there was protest at Agwatashi when the state governor, Umaru Tanku Almakura went on an on-the-spot assessment visit to some of the IDP camps and other affected villages in Obi Local Government. The IDPs, who were protesting the killing of their relations by the herdsmen said they could no longer bear the incessant attacks on their communities, lamented that the bodies of their relations killed by the attackers had not been recovered. The governor, who described the action of the protesting IDPs as understandable in view of the psychological trauma they were passing through pleaded that his government will continue to do everything possible to restore peace in the state. Al-Makura, acompanied by other government functionaries, including security chiefs in the state, could not proceed to Keana IDP camp due to the incident at Agwatashi.