An indigene of Nasarawa state has confirmed the severity of the reported violence which has led to the loss of many lives and property in the Northern state.
A former chairman of Keana local government council in the state, Jibrin Keana, on Tuesday disclosed that several school children were ‘slaughtered like goats’ by the Ombatse group allegedly responsible for the violent attacks in the area.
Speaking on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily programme, Mr Keana explained that the group may be operating for political reasons as the name means “it is our time” coupled with the fact that the Governorship seat of the state has always been occupied by individuals from a particular ethnic group, Eggon.
Recently, fresh crisis began which resulted in the destruction of at least three villages, leading to many properties being destroyed and many lives lost.
However, the current state of existence in which the entire state finds itself has not always been the case as “it baffles everybody” because the entire community understands itself to be one as evident in inter-communal marriages and religious faithfuls from both divides worshiping together in churches and mosques.
“The issue on ground stems from activities of our neighbours, the Eggon people and for every occasion that it has taken place, it has been the Eggon people attacking their neighbours.”
The crisis, he said, began in 2012 when supporters of opponents at a political rally attacked each other leading to the death of several people.
Although there were efforts made to restore peace to the community, Mr Keana said “suddenly, for reasons as meager as stolen bicycle or a burnt bicycle, will lead to a sudden uproar of massive killing and reducing communities into rubbles”
Citing several communities which had been attacked, destroyed including the beheading of a tradition ruler in one of the areas, Mr Keana said that “I have a responsibility to let the world know that the stories that are being pushed into the papers have no bearings to the realities on ground”.
On the 12th and 13th of September, youths from one village saw two trucks filled with armed Ombatse men and then alerted their colleagues in Obi village.
These youths were able to stop one truck and arrest the individuals after which they handed them over to the police.
However, in little time, the whole community was surrounded by Omabtse people who demanded the release of their friends which the police complied to.
The bone of contention stemmed from the truck which had been burnt after the arrest was made.
Mr Keana disclosed that the traditional ruler of Obi local government offered to pay for the burnt vehicle on Thursday night but by Friday morning, “before 10 – 12 o’clock, this thing had changed dimension”
The Omabtse people attacked and burnt down a nearby community in reaction to what happened in Obi.
“They moved into Obi, reduced the community into rubbles and killed people
“Assakio is 12 kilometers away from Obi, in a different local government area, they went ahead and reduced it to rubble and then killed people”
The worst of it all was that “children that were even locked up in school premises in Assakio were killed and slaughtered like goats”.