At least four people were reportedly killed and over 45 others injured following a violent attack by suspected Fulani herdsmen on Akunza-Ashigye community, located near Assakio in Lafia East Development Area of Lafia Local Government Area, Nasarawa State.
An eyewitness and resident of Akunza-Ashigye, Mr. Jonathan Adamu, spoke to journalists over the phone, confirming the assault and describing it as both sudden and brutal.
Adamu suggested that the attack may be linked to a lingering, unresolved dispute between Fulani herdsmen and the host community, which had previously claimed lives on both sides in 2024.
He added that the violence could have been sparked by a recent incident involving two Fulani herdsmen returning from a cattle market in Lafia on a motorcycle.
The pair were reportedly ambushed near a bridge after leaving Akunza-Ashigye community, resulting in the death of one of them.
“The Fulani man reportedly identified one of the attackers by his dreadlocks and concluded that the assailants were from Akunza-Ashigye community. That may have led to the retaliatory attack carried out last night,” Adamu said.
Confirming the assault, the Nasarawa State Police Command, through its spokesperson SP Raham Nansel, stated that three deaths had so far been officially recorded.
“I can confirm that two men died on the spot, while another later died at the hospital,” Nansel said, noting that investigations are ongoing.
He added that the Commissioner of Police had directed a significant deployment of security personnel to the area to restore calm and prevent further escalation.
The police assured residents that measures were being intensified to bring the perpetrators to justice and to forestall any reprisal attacks.
