Umar Muhammad, Lafia
Death toll in Saturday and Sunday attacks on Tiv villages by suspected Fulani herders in Nasarawa State has risen to 78, even as search for the recovery of corpses continued on Tuesday.
Our correspondent, who was on the entourage of Governor Umaru Tanko Al-Makura, observed that coordinated attacks made the entire Tiv nationalities in the state to desert their homes in Obi, Awe, Domain and Keana Local Government Areas of the state.
Over 100, 000 persons are now taking refuge in the headquarters and other villages in the affected local governments.
The President, Tiv Youth Organisation in Nasarawa state, Peter Ahemba, confirmed the new casualty figure in an interview with our correspondent in Lafia on Tuesday.
According to him, additional dead bodies were recovered from Uluji, Ayaakeke, Uvirkaa and Usula, adding that most of the victims were those trapped in villages along the Agwatashi-Jangwa Road in Obi Local Government.
Ahemba said, “We are still searching for many of our people who have been missing since the attacks occurred. Corpses of those killed especially at Kertyo last Sunday and surrounding villages have not been recovered up till now that I speak with you.”
However, the convoy of Al-Makura was stoned by the aggrieved IDPs at Agwatashi when he visited the Obi Local Government Area of the state for an on-the-spot assessment of the IDP camps and other affected villages on Tuesday,
The IDPs, who were protesting the killing of their relations by suspected people believed to be Fulani herders, said they could no longer bear the incessant attacks on their communities.
They pelted the convoy with stones and sticks to protest the continued killings in the area.
They lamented that the bodies of their relations killed by the attackers had not been recovered.
The policemen in the governor’s convoy had to fire tear gas to disperse the aggrieved IDPs. This paved the way for the governor and his entourage to escape.
The attack on Al-Makura’s convoy prevented the governor and his entourage including top government functionaries and security chiefs to proceed to Keana IDP camp as earlier arranged.
Reacting to the IDPs’ action, the governor described it as understandable in view of the psychological trauma they were experiencing.
He said his government would continue to do everything possible to restore peace in the state.
The Nasarawa State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Bello Ahmed, who confirmed the mob attack on the governor’s convoy, said it was politically motivated.
The police boss said, “The attack on the governor’s convoy in Obi Local Government Area of the state is politically motivated.”
On the number of arrest made from the attack, he said investigation into the incident was ongoing, adding that the number of casualties from the renewed attack could not be ascertained as of the time of filling in this report.
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