Terror After Sundown: Village Head Killed, Residents Abducted In Deadly Herdsmen Attack On Nasarawa Community
The sun had barely set in Tse Yange, a quiet, predominantly Tiv community in Obi Local Government Area of Nasarawa State, when death came roaring in on motorbikes. What followed was a night of horror that left the village head dead, several others abducted, and an entire community traumatized.
Armed attackers—suspected to be herdsmen—descended on the village under the cover of night on Sunday, firing sporadically and sending terrified residents fleeing into the bush.
“It was like a war zone. They came heavily armed and just started shooting at everyone. We ran for our lives,” recounted one survivor.
🏚️ A Community in Chaos: Deadly Silence and the Search for the Missing
By Monday morning, the once-lively village had been reduced to near silence. Many residents were missing, unaccounted for, or too afraid to return home. The village head lay dead, brutally executed in his own community. And the full extent of the damage—both physical and emotional—was still unfolding.
Authorities have not yet released an official casualty figure, and security forces are currently working with locals to conduct headcounts and rescue operations. The number of abducted persons remains unknown, and several villagers are reported injured.
⚠️ Recurring Nightmare: Herdsmen Attacks Escalate in Nasarawa and Benue
What makes this incident even more disturbing is its timing: just hours earlier, a similarly orchestrated attack believed to have been carried out by herdsmen from Nasarawa State hit the Yeletawa community in Benue State, killing over 100 people and leaving scores of homes in ruins.
This isn’t an isolated case—it’s part of a growing wave of terror spreading across central Nigeria, particularly in states like Benue, Nasarawa, Plateau, and Taraba, where ethnic, religious, and economic tensions continue to fuel a deadly conflict between herders and farmers.
🧠 Context: A Crisis Ignored or Mismanaged?
While politicians argue and policymakers posture, communities like Tse Yange are left to defend themselves against armed assailants with little or no government support. These attacks raise serious concerns about the effectiveness of Nigeria’s internal security apparatus, especially in rural areas where police presence is limited and often arrives too late.
At the heart of the crisis are land disputes, grazing rights, religious divides, and broken promises by successive governments to tackle the herder-farmer conflict head-on.
🕊️ Conclusion: When Will the Cry for Help Be Heard?
Tse Yange is grieving. Its people have been thrown into fear and mourning. Their leader is gone. Their neighbors are missing. Their future feels uncertain.
How many more towns must be attacked before a coordinated, sincere response is taken? If the herdsmen crisis is not dealt with decisively, more blood will spill, and more communities will be wiped from the map.
Now is not the time for silence.
