In the Kudu village in Toto Local Government Area, Nasarawa State, a violent clash between the Gbagyi and Bassa ethnic groups over a land dispute has resulted in seven fatalities and numerous injuries.
It was gathered that the Gbagyi people had settled in a community where the Bassa ethnic group was believed to have invaded, causing the issue.
In addition to individuals who suffered varying degrees of injuries, a community member who begged to remain anonymous informed our correspondent in Lafia on Tuesday that the fighting also destroyed numerous homes and agricultural products valued at millions of naira.
“The attacks are getting too much and the government seems to be silent about it. We can no longer sleep in our houses with our two eyes closed. We really need help in the Kudu community as soon as possible,” the source added.
Meanwhile, the Nasarawa State Governor, Abdullahi Sule, has said the government recently developed strategies towards tackling insecurity in the LGA.
Sule disclosed this while presiding over an emergency executive council meeting which was held at the Government House, Lafia, on Monday.
According to him, even though the matter was not part of the agenda for the meeting, it had become necessary to bring it up before the executive council because lives had been lost due to the crisis in the LGA.
He further announced plans to convene a meeting involving the Gbagyi, Egbirra and Bassa communities to address the overriding distrust and perceived acrimony existing between them.
“The security agencies have already moved in there, and we will be able to get to the bottom of it.
“But most importantly, the moment we return from Abuja, we are going to have a meeting of the Gbagyi, the Egbirra and Bassa communities so that at the end of the day, we have to bring this to an end. It cannot go on in this unfortunate circle,” he stated.
