At least 11 people were killed and over 50 houses burned in the Udege Development Area of Nasarawa Local Government Area in Nasarawa State. The attack occurred in the early hours of Friday and targeted Akyawa and Udege Kasa communities. Police Public Relations Officer Ramhan Nansel confirmed the incident in a statement on Saturday, attributing it to hoodlums on a reprisal mission over the alleged killing of two of their kinsmen. Eleven deaths were confirmed, with about 50 houses destroyed in Akyawa and two in Udege Kasa.
Commissioner of Police Shetima Mohammed visited the affected communities on 3 April, expressing sorrow and pledging justice. He ordered an intensive manhunt, with tactical and investigative units deployed to identify, arrest, and prosecute those responsible. Security has been heightened through joint operations involving the police, military, and Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC). A stakeholders' meeting was held during the visit, with residents urged to remain calm and cooperate.
Nasarawa State lawmaker Onarigu Onah, who conducted an on-the-spot assessment, said about 15 people were killed and several others remain missing. He described the attack as "unacceptable and very condemnable," noting destruction of homes, vehicles, motorcycles, and food items. Local government chairman Mohammed Ahmed pledged collaboration with security agencies to restore peace. Residents appealed for greater security to allow displaced persons to return. The incident follows a 29 March attack in Plateau State that killed at least 28 people.
The discrepancy between the police count of 11 deaths and the local lawmaker's figure of 15 — with more missing — reveals how official narratives often lag behind ground realities in crisis zones. Onarigu Onah's on-the-spot assessment carries weight because it reflects what survivors are saying, not what distant briefings suggest. When attacks like this follow so closely after bloodshed in Plateau, it signals a deteriorating security pattern that incremental police statements and joint operations have not been able to break. For residents of Nasarawa's rural communities, promises of restored normalcy ring hollow while the dead are still being counted.
