Linus Oota, Lafia
Gunmen suspected to be Fulani militia, on Sunday, attacked Numa village, in Andaha community of Akwanga Local Government Area of Nasarawa State, and killed 16 Mada natives during a naming ceremony.
Killing of the Mada natives came few weeks after it was reported that some suspected herdsmen raped a Mada girl to death, which sparked a face-off between the herdsmen and the natives.
Confirming the ugly incident to newsmen in Akwanga, headquarters of Akwanga Local Government Area, the senator representing Nasarawa North senatorial, Philip Gyunka, said the celebrants, made up of the father, mother and the son were killed during the attack.
Senator Gyunka described the killings as unfortunate, barbaric and uncalled for.
“The unfortunate thing is that the celebrants as well as a pregnant woman were killed. An aged person above 100 years was also killed in the attack.
“They did not spare women or children and these were the people who don’t have arms,” he explained.
Also, the paramount ruler of the Mada Nation, Samuel Gamu-Yare, who spoke told in his palace said that “this thing happened like a thunder strike in the night and the terrain was too accessible and when we informed the Police, the perpetrators had vanished.”
Gamu-Yare, who is the Chun Mada, confirmed that 16 people of Mada extraction died in the attack.
“We had 16 deaths while several others were critically wounded. The militias interacted with the celebrants during the naming ceremony before they suddenly resolved to sporadic shooting.
“Some of the assassins were identified and some names were mentioned and handed over to security agents.
“Tthe situation is quite unfortunate, devastating, that a peaceful, law-abiding and innocent community like mine, which over decades has never been involved in skirmishes; either internally or externally, would be attacked when in celebration mood by men suspected to be Fulani herdsmen.”