Heardsmen Attack Aso A, Mararaba: Six Dead

Suspected herdsmen attacked Aso A community near Jumai Estate in Mararaba, the volatile boundary between Abuja and Nasarawa State, on Wednesday morning.

NaijaChoice News gathered that the assault has claimed no fewer than six lives, with several others injured. The exact casualty figure remains unconfirmed as security agencies are yet to release an official toll.

The violence broke out after an earlier clash between a farmer and a herder that ended in the herder’s death. The farmer, whose name is still unknown, fled the area immediately.

In retaliation, the armed herdsmen stormed the fugitive farmer’s residence, attacking residents at random and setting houses on fire. When locals tried to resist, the situation worsened, leaving more property destroyed and lives lost.

A video seen by NaijaChoice News shows thick smoke rising from burning homes while one victim’s body is pushed in a wheelbarrow toward a nearby hospital.

A resident who spoke on condition of anonymity said the community has been completely deserted. Many families escaped to safer parts of Abuja and surrounding areas.

A combined team of police and military personnel has since been deployed to restore order. However, a motorcyclist carrying a police officer to the scene was ambushed and killed by the attackers.

Tension is still high in Mararaba, a community leader told NaijaChoice News. Reports suggest more armed herdsmen may be moving in from Keffi for possible fresh reprisals.

Efforts by NaijaChoice News to reach the female Divisional Police Officer of Aso A Police Division for comments proved unsuccessful. She declined to speak when contacted.

The incident is the latest in a string of farmer-herder clashes that have troubled Nasarawa and the fringes of the Federal Capital Territory for years. Residents are calling for stronger measures to prevent the cycle of revenge attacks from spiralling further.