Some suspected Fulani herdsmen early hour of Friday attacked Tawari community in Kogi local government council of Kogi State killing 23 people and burnt down the Palace of Chief, Alhaji Yusuf Idris, and then razed down several houses and killed about ten persons.
The Administrator of the local government, Hon. Musa Tanko Mohammed, however, confirmed that 19 persons died in the midnight invasion.
TribuneOnline reliably gathered on Friday that the militia entered the community at about 1 am on Friday, burnt down the Palace and houses and then killed several people.
An eyewitnesses account disclosed that the gunmen numbering over 50 were fully armed when they invaded the community.
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The source further added that, when they started shooting, those who tried to escape from their various houses, were trapped in the middle of the invaders as they shot sporadically.
Places of worship were not spared during the attack.
According to the source, the attack is believed to be a reprisal attack by the militia who are suspected to be herdsmen.
The killing of four suspected herdsmen, alleged to be kidnappers along Lokoja- Abuja federal highway recently by security agencies, following a tip-off by vigilantes from Tawari community, was alleged to be what angered the militia to attack the community.
It was also gathered that the herdsmen sometimes last year had one of them killed and his body mutilated by suspected ritualists, therefore, the herdsmen pointed accusing fingers at the Tawari community, threatening a reprisal.
But following persistent persuasion by the community head, Alhaji. Yahaya Tawari, against a reprisal, the herdsmen lived in the community with their host community in peace until a few days ago when they started moving out en-mass.
While efforts were made to pacify them as to their reason for the mass movement, the herdsmen said their movement was a way of life, assuring that it had no ulterior motives.
But the killing of the herdsmen suspected to be kidnappers terrorising motorists along the Lokoja – Abuja federal highway four days ago was said to have angered the herdsmen, who alleged that the misfortune of their colleagues killed as suspected kidnappers was made possible by information from the Tawari community, reason for the reprisal in the wee hours of Friday.
The administrator of the local government council, Barrister. Musa Tanko while confirming the attack said only 19 persons were killed as he described the incident as very unfortunate, assured that efforts are on to return life to normalcy.
Meanwhile, the governor of the state, Alhaji Yahaya Bello has directed security agencies to fish out perpetrators of Tawari overnight attack.
The Kogi State Governor, Alhaji Yahaya Bello in a statement by the Governor’s Chief Press Secretary, Mr Onogwu Muhammed, Bello has immediately directed security agencies to swing into action and ensure those who carried out the dastardly act faced the law.
The governor condemned the incident and warned that anyone who wants to cause a crisis in the state would have himself to blame, assuring that his administration would do everything to protect life and property of the people of the state.
Governor Bello, therefore, urged the people to be calm and law-abiding, while assuring them of the determination of his Administration to flush out bandits and criminals out of Kogi State.
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