GUNMEN KILLS 12 VILLAGERS IN NASARAWA

Suspected gunmen attacked two settlements in Udeni Ruwa District, Nasarawa Local Government Area of Nararawa state, on Sunday night, killing 12 people.

Five of the victims drowned while trying to escape to the hinterland.
A witness, John Ogah, in a telephone interview with PREMIUM TIMES on Monday, claimed the attackers were herdsmen who invaded Okpaya, a riverine village. That could not be independently verified by this newspaper.
Mr. Ogah said the attackers touched a part of Udeni Ruwa, and killed eight persons, five from Okpaya and three others from Udeni Ruwa.
According to our source, a family of five drowned in the River Benue.
“My brother, it is unfortunate, Fulani people attacked Okpaya, killed five of our people, burnt down the entire village on their way and attacked some persons in Udeni.
“They killed three people and all of us from Okpaya ran to neighbouring villages. The most annoying part is that a family man, lost his wife and three children while they were on their way to Loko through a boat.”

The police in the state are yet to confirm the incident, but residents of the area say the local police stationed in Udeni Ruwa had visited the scene.
Mr. Ogah explained that the attackers invaded Okpaya village at night, at about 11:00 p.m. Sunday night. He said the entire village was razed by the attackers.
Udeni Ruwa district is the boundary between Nasarawa and Benue states.
Following the incident, residents from nearby villages of Ogoboh, Akum, Kpandera, Akpanaja and Amaku are now living in fear.
Already, some have relocated their children and their aged relatives to neighbouring communities.