- Safiu Kehinde
No fewer than three people have been confirmed dead with four others injured in an attack on a community at Aso Fada, Karu Local Government Area of Nasarawa State.
NPO earlier Reported the attack on the community by suspected bandits with videos shared on X showing several burnt houses and cars.
The youths of the communituly would however storm the street with one of the assailants reportedly arrested.
However, as against the report claiming bandots attack, the Nasarawa Police Command, in a statement made available to NPO Reports by its spokesperson, SP Ramhan Nansel, disclosed that the incident was a clash between a group of herders and the community members.
Nansel that the clash erupted around 9:00am shortly after a farm owner shot a 17-year-old herder, Ado Yau dead over trespassing.
The farm owner, who is also a vigilante member ans identified as Sunday Adoye, was reported to have challenged the late Yau and his colleagues for feeding their cattle with leaves from his mango trees.
Adoye would retreat to his house in the course of the confrontation to get his gun which he fired at them.
“On March 25, 2026, at about 9:00 a.m. in Unguwan Yobe, Aso Fada, Karu Local Government Area.
“The Command received a distress call from a Fulani community leader, one Hardo Gidado, reporting that earlier at about 8:30 a.m., a group of herders allegedly trespassed into a farmland belonging to one Sunday Adoye, a 40-year-old vigilante member of Jummai Estate, Aso Fada.
“The herders were said to have been cutting leaves from mango trees to feed their cattle, which resulted in a confrontation between both parties.
“During the altercation, the said Sunday Adoye reportedly retreated to his residence, retrieved a pump-action firearm, and discharged a shot that struck one Ado Yau, a 17-year-old herder, who died on the spot.” Nansel wrote.
Following the incident, other herders, according to the police spokesperson, mobilized in large numbers and launched a reprisal attack on the Unguwan Yobe community, during which four houses, two motor vehicles, and three motorcycles were set ablaze, while four persons sustained varying degrees of injuries.
Report further indicated that military personnel on patrol were invited to the scene to restore order.
In the course of intervention, two individuals identified as Muhammadu Ibrahim (25) and Ado Gambo (18) were fatally shot.
Whike the deceased and injured victims were taken to the hospital, Adoye was arrested with his firearm recovered.
“Police operatives promptly visited the scene, where corpses and injured victims were documented and evacuated to the Medical Centre, Mararaba, for necessary medical attention and examination.
“The suspect, Sunday Adoye, has been arrested, and the firearm used in the commission of the crime has been recovered.” The Nasarawa Police spokesperson stressed further.
He further disclosed that an additional fifteen male suspects have been apprehended in connection with the disturbance.
While the case is currently under investigation, Nansel said intensive patrols and surveillance have been strengthened across the affected community and its environs under the Karu Area Command to forestall further breakdown of law and order.
Upon conclusion of thr investigation, the case is to be transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID), Lafia.
The Command assured members of the public that monitoring of the situation is ongoing and urges residents to remain calm, law-abiding, and to cooperate with security agencies as efforts are being intensified to ensure justice and sustain peace in the area.