Nasarawa highway blockade after fatal night attack
Youths in the Sarkin Noma community in Keana Local Government Area of Nasarawa State staged a dramatic protest on Friday after suspected armed gunmen invaded their village late at night and killed two young men and abducted an elderly resident. Eyewitnesses say the attack occurred between 11:30 p.m. and midnight, when roughly fifty assailants described by residents as suspected herders stormed the settlement, firing shots into the air and then abducting the older man.
In response to the attack, angry youths carried the bodies of the two deceased to the busy Lafia–Makurdi highway and blocked vehicular movement along the route as a show of frustration and demand for urgent government action.The blockade lasted for hours and brought traffic to a standstill, as the protesters called attention to their worsening security situation.
Community leaders say that the area has experienced at least a dozen attacks in recent times, and residents live in constant fear of being attacked or kidnapped, especially when travelling after dark. One youth leader said any person returning from the farm or market at night risks abduction or worse.
The state police command confirmed the incident and said the Commissioner of Police, Shettima Mohammed Jauro, is leading security operatives to the scene to restore order. The protest underscores growing frustration among rural communities in north-central Nigeria over persistent attacks by armed groups and what they describe as slow or inadequate government response.
