The Katapka community in the Toto Local Government Area of Nasarawa State is currently gripped by fear following reports of the alleged killing of three Nigerian Army personnel and two vigilantes by bandits who raided the LGA on Tuesday.
On February 1, 2024, unidentified gunmen reportedly killed three individuals and caused extensive damage to properties valued at millions of naira in the Katapka and Okudu communities. Consequently, the Nigerian Army deployed personnel to the area to maintain law and order.
However, it has been reported that while the military was working to restore normalcy, the bandits launched an attack on Tuesday afternoon. This resulted in the deaths of three soldiers and two vigilantes.
Speaking to our correspondent in Lafia via telephone on Wednesday, the Chairman of Toto LGA, Abdullahi Aliyu-Tashas, expressed regret over the incident, describing the soldiers’ deaths as unfortunate.
He said, “The suspected bandits laid ambush on the military personnel who were on patrol to maintain law and order in the area and killed three of them.
“Katakpa community had been recently attacked, and as a result of that, the soldiers were drafted to Katakpa to maintain law and order, but they were unfortunately killed in an ambush on Tuesday afternoon.”
The council chairman further explained that the state government had assumed responsibility for the situation and was taking steps to address it. He added that additional security personnel had been deployed to the area to prevent any further disturbances.
Meanwhile, an ethnic group in the region, the Bassa Cultural Development Union, has urged Governor Abdullahi Sule of Nasarawa State to swiftly identify those responsible for the attacks on the Katakpa community in the Umaisha District of Toto LGA, which resulted in the recent fatalities.
The group made this appeal in a statement released by its chairman, Emmanuel Gbaji, on Wednesday.
“We, the Bassa community of Nasarawa State, have barely recovered from the shock of the attack on Okudu village when we received news of the attack on Katapka vIllage. The unfortunate event came with the loss of three lives and wanton destruction of property.
“We want to call on His Excellency, the Executive Governor of Nasarawa State, Engr. A.A. Sule, as the chief security officer of the state to use his good office to fish out the perpetrators of these criminal attacks so that peace can return to the Toto Local Government Area.
“We want to send our deep condolences to the families and relatives of the victims, and we ask God to give them the fortitude to bear their loss. We are deeply pained by their loss and we pray that God would comfort them,” the group said.