Umaisha District, in Toto Local Government Area of Nasarawa State has been thrown into heightened tension following the murder of three soldiers and two vigilantes by a suspected militia group.
It was gathered that on February 1, 2024, some yet-to-be-identified gunmen killed three persons and destroyed property worth millions of naira in an attack on the village.
Reports say the gunmen recently launched an attack on Okudu village leaving several persons dead. A situation that led to the deployment of men of the Nigerian army to Katakpa and Okudu villages for the restoration of law and order following the persistent communal clashes in the area.
However, Chairman of Toto LGA, Mr. Abdullahi Aliyu-Tashas, who confirmed to newsmen on Wednesday 7 February that some hoodlums killed the soldiers who were on a patrol added that the soldiers were ambush by the gunmen.
“They attacked four communities in Katakpa village and as a result of that, the soldiers were drafted to Katakpa village to maintain law and order. While the soldiers were on patrol, they ambushed them and killed three soldiers on Tuesday afternoon.” He noted.
The local government Chairman who said that the state government had swung into the matter stated that; “As I am talking to you, I am with the ambulance conveying the dead bodies of the soldiers”.
Aliyu-Tashas said that security operatives were already on ground, combing the the entire Katakpa village to prevent further escalation of the incident.
A statement endorsed by the Bassa Cultural Development Union (BCDU) Mr. Emmanuel M. Gbaji appealed to Governor Abdullahi Sule of Nasarawa State to as a matter of urgency, spare no effort fishing out perpetrators of the dastardly act.
“We have firmly resolved to live in peace with them. We are not lying. We are not being deceitful. We are sincere. It is natural to want to seek revenge, but in this case, seeking revenge will only create the atmosphere of chaos that the wicked brains behind the whole crisis want.
We, the Bassa Community of Nasarawa State, have barely recovered from the shock of the attack on Okudu village when we received news of the attack on Katapka vIllage on the 1st of February 2024. The unfortunate event came with the loss of three lives and wanton destruction of property.
“We want to call on His Excellency, the Executive Governor of Nasarawa State, Engr. AA Sule, as the Chief Security Officer of the state, to use his good offices to fish out the perpetrators of these criminal attacks so that peace can return to Toto Local Government Area.” The statement added.
