Tension has gripped Sarkin Noma community in Keana Local Government Area of Nasarawa State following a deadly night attack that left two men dead and one abducted, prompting angry youths to block the Lafia–Makurdi highway in protest.
The violent incident, which occurred between 11:30 p.m. and midnight on Friday, was reportedly carried out by suspected armed herdsmen who stormed the community, shooting sporadically and abducting an elderly man.
An eyewitness, who pleaded anonymity, said, “Around midnight, some suspected Fulani herders invaded the community, killed two persons, and kidnapped one.”
A youth leader, Mr. Ogu Iliya, said about 50 gunmen invaded the area and began shooting indiscriminately before escaping with their hostage. He added that the community youths mobilized to resist the attackers but lost two members in the process.
“The attack makes it the twelfth in recent months. People here no longer feel safe. Anyone returning home late from the farm risks being kidnapped,” Iliya said. “The abducted elderly man is still missing, and we don’t know his condition.”
Outraged by the killings, the youths carried the bodies of the two victims to the main highway and used them to block the busy Lafia–Makurdi road, disrupting vehicular movement and demanding government action.
The attack comes amid growing international attention to Nigeria’s security crisis, following former U.S. President Donald Trump’s recent classification of Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern (CPC) over terrorism and human rights abuses.
Confirming the incident, the Police Public Relations Officer of the Nasarawa State Command, SP Ramhan Nansel, said the Commissioner of Police, Shettima Mohammed Jauro, had led a team of operatives to the scene to restore order and investigate the attack.
