27 Dead As Explosion Rocks Nasarawa Community

Over 27 Fulani pastoralists have been confirmed dead after a bomb blast suspected to be an airstrike hit a community in Doma Local Government Area of Nasarawa State.

The blast was allegedly targeted at suspected bandits who have been terrorizing residents along the border areas linking Nasarawa and Benue states.

Spokesperson of the State Police Command, DSP Ramhan Nansel, who confirmed this in a statement on Wednesday, January 25, 2023, said the sad incident occurred in the Rukubi community of Doma LGA on Tuesday night, January 24.

He, however, said the state police command is working in collaboration with sister security agencies and the state government to unravel the circumstances that led to the bombing, and arrest the perpetrators of the dastardly act.

"It is unfortunate that such a thing happened. Twenty-seven of the herdsmen were killed after a bomb exploded in Doma LGA. The police and other security agencies are working round the clock to understand what led to the attack and track down those involved in the act," he stated.

Reacting to the sad incident, Nasarawa State Governor, Abdullahi Sule, vowed to ensure that those behind the killing of the herdsmen are apprehended and made to face the law.

The governor urged all Fulani people across the state to remain calm, saying that the state government was working with the Benue State government to proffer a lasting solution to the incessant attacks on the people along the Nasarawa/Benue borders.

He added that security operatives had been deployed to curtail any further breakdown of law and order in the area.

"On behalf of the state government, I want to sympathise with the Fulani people across the state over the killings of their people by an unknown bomber. I want to assure them of the state government’s commitment to unravel the perpetrators of such act so as to face the full wrath of the law." he added.

Speaking on the incident, the Chairman of Doma LGA, Ahmed Sarki-Usman, condemned the attack in its entirety.

“It must be the activity of some bad elements in the area. The act is capable of causing unrest in the LGA but I particularly want to thank the Fulani people for being calm and allowing the government and security agencies to handle the issue. I assure them that we will get to the root of the matter," he said.

The State Chairman, Miyetti Allah Kautal Horai, Ardo Lawal Dano, who spoke to the Punch , expressed shock over the bombing that killed his kinsmen.

He appealed to the federal and state governments to come to their aid in order to arrest those involved in the act, calm the situation, and restore normalcy in the area.

"The Fulani people are law-abiding citizens. We don’t like trouble, so let the government address the situation because we are really pained losing our loved ones,” he added.

Meanwhile, the remains of the victims were buried on Wednesday according to Islamic rites.