At least 11 persons were killed while more than 50 houses were burnt in a communal crisis in Akyawa and Udege Kasa communities of Nasarawa Local Government Area on Friday.
SP Ramhan Nansel, spokesman of the Nasarawa State Police Command, confirmed the incident in a statement issued on Saturday in Lafia.
He said suspected hoodlums carried out a reprisal attack following the alleged killing of two of their kinsmen.
Nansel disclosed that 11 people were killed during the attack, while about 52 houses were destroyed across the two communities.
He added that the Commissioner of Police in the state, Shetima Mohammed, led a team on an on-the-spot assessment visit to the affected areas to ascertain the extent of the damage and ensure the restoration of normalcy.
According to him, the CP expressed deep sorrow over the incident and commiserated with the families of the victims, assuring them of the Command’s commitment to ensuring justice.
Nansel further stated that the CP had ordered an intensive manhunt for the perpetrators and directed tactical teams to ensure their swift arrest and prosecution.
He also noted that additional police personnel had been deployed to the affected communities to prevent further breakdown of law and order.
The police spokesperson said security agencies, including the military and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, were collaborating to restore lasting peace in the area.
He added that a stakeholders’ meeting was held during the visit, where residents were urged to remain calm and cooperate with security agencies.
Nansel assured the public that normalcy had been restored, with proactive measures put in place to prevent a recurrence of violence.
NAN
