TheCable

Suspected herdsmen have sacked Merte and Nendem villages in Akwanga local government area of Nasarawa state following a dispute with some youth in the area.

Samaila Usman, an assistant superintendent of police and spokesperson of the Nasarawa state police command, confirmed the incident to NAN on Monday.

According to Usman, trouble began on March 23, when a suspected herdsman allegedly assaulted and raped a lady in the area, who later died at the General Hospital, Akwanga.

“Suspected Mada youth mobilised and attacked a Fulani settlement in the area, killed one person and some animals in the process,” Usman said.

“Later, some suspected herdsmen, in a reprisal attack, touched Merte and Nendem villages burning 27 houses.”

He said apart from the lady and the man that was killed, no further lives were lost to the skirmishes.

He said  Bola Longe, commissioner of police, had deployed a detachment of officers to the area to forestall escalation of the situation.

Usman also said the police was working hard to ensure amicable resolution of the problem by summoning a stakeholders’ meeting for dialogue.

He appealed to the people to desist from taking laws into their hands and to give peace a chance.