The Evangelical Church Winning All (ECWA) in Takalafia, Nasarawa State, was thrown into mourning as the Pastor-in-charge, Rev Daniel Danbeki, and 37 others were gruesomely murdered by assailants. The attack lasted from 9 pm on Thursday night until the early hours of Friday. Women and children were also among the victims of the attack that occurred in Takalafia and Gwanja communities in the Karu Local Government Area of Nasarawa state.
A mass burial was held on Saturday for the victims, and the deputy governor of the state, Emmanuel Akabe, led a government delegation to the ceremony. He condemned the killings and destruction of property worth millions of naira. Akabe expressed shock over the killings and assured that the state government will investigate the cause of the attacks and bring the perpetrators of the dastardly act to book. He also promised to provide relief materials for displaced people in the area.
The Executive Chairman of Karu LGA, James Thomas, also condemned the attack by the herdsmen. He appealed for calm and vowed to work closely with the security agencies to arrest the perpetrators of the act in order for them to face the full wrath of the law.
According to a report, the attack was a result of a disagreement between a farmer and a bandit who took his cows to graze on a groundnut and maize farm. The cows completely ate the crops, which angered the farmer, leading to a fierce battle between him and the bandit. The source reported that during their confrontation, the bandit died, which then led to the killings of residents of the area by the bandits.
Several more corpses of victims who escaped with bullet wounds during the attack were still being recovered from bushes in the area and taken to the mortuary of the Federal Medical Centre in Keffi LGA of the state after the mass funeral.
The Nasarawa State government has promised to investigate the root cause of the attack and ensure that the perpetrators are brought to justice. The mass burial ceremony was attended by sympathizers and other members of the affected communities