No fewer than nine Tiv farmers of Gidan Sule community in the Keana Local Government Area of Nasarawa State have been reportedly killed by gunmen suspected to be Fulani herdsmen.
Findings by our correspondent showed that the incident occurred on Saturday when the gunmen, who were armed with AK-47 rifles, stormed the community, and opened fire on residents.
At the end of the shootings, nine persons were reportedly killed, while others, who escaped with bullet wounds, including women and children, were missing.
The President of the Tiv Development Association in the state, Peter Ahemba, on Monday, said five corpses were recovered on Sunday morning and later that day, four other corpses were recovered from a bush in the community.
Ahemba lamented the “persistent unprovoked attacks” on his kinsmen in recent time.
He said, “After the Saturday attack on the Tiv people at Gidan Sule village where three people were killed by gunmen, I can confirm that on Sunday morning, six other corpses were recovered from the bush and more dead bodies have yet to be discovered.”
Reacting, the state Chairman of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria, Bala Muhammed-Dabo, said he was not aware of the killing of any Tiv farmer by his tribesmen.
He said, “I do not know if any Tiv person was killed. I only heard that a Fulani man and a Fulani woman who were on their way for grazing were recently attacked and killed by some gunmen and they have been buried according to Islamic rites.
“I have warned my people not to take the law into their hands; government is on top of the situation and I will not support anyone who looks for trouble.”
As of the time of filing this report, efforts to reach the state Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Ramhan Nansel, proved abortive, as he did not respond to calls put across to his mobile lines.
