Highway Blocked in Nasarawa as Youths Protest Persistent Insecurity
Hundreds of young people from Sarkin Noma village in Nasarawa State's Keana Local Government Area brought traffic to a standstill on the crucial Lafia-Makurdi highway on Friday. The protesters were demonstrating against the relentless attacks, killings, and kidnappings by armed men that have plagued their community.
Community Leader Details Midnight Attack
A youth leader from the area, Ogu Iliya, informed journalists that the protest was organized to draw the attention of the authorities to their dire situation and demand immediate intervention. He provided a chilling account of the events that sparked the demonstration. According to Iliya, approximately 50 armed men invaded the community around midnight, firing shots indiscriminately before abducting an elderly resident identified as Mathew Anzaku.
Iliya explained that local youths mobilized to confront the attackers and repel the invasion. However, during the encounter, two of the youths, simply identified as Adgizi and Godiya, were shot and killed. The community leader lamented that this was the 12th such attack on Sarkin Noma in recent times, leaving residents in a perpetual state of fear and helplessness.
Unbearable Living Conditions and Police Response
“The situation has become unbearable,” Iliya stated. “Any resident who sells farm produce and returns from the market at night is at serious risk. These gunmen, who we suspect to be herdsmen, kidnap people and demand ransom before releasing them. The elderly man taken last night is still missing, and we don’t know his condition.”
In a powerful and somber display of their grief and frustration, the angry youths reportedly carried the corpses of the two slain victims to the highway. They blocked the busy route, halting all vehicular movement for several hours.
In response to the crisis, the Police Public Relations Officer for the state command, SP Ramhan Nansel, confirmed that security operatives have been deployed. The team is being led by the Commissioner of Police, Shettima Mohammed Jauro, with the primary objective of restoring normalcy to the area and addressing the security concerns raised by the community.
