Tragedy struck Nindama village in Kokona Local Government Area of Nasarawa State on Friday, October 10, when unknown gunmen attacked the community, killing eight people and leaving six others missing.
The attack reportedly happened in the early hours of the morning, around 3:30 a.m., when the armed men stormed the village and opened fire on residents, causing panic and destruction.
Local sources confirmed that two other individuals were seriously injured during the attack and are currently receiving treatment at a nearby health facility. The identities of the victims have not yet been released to the public.
Security agencies have since launched a joint operation to locate the missing persons and hunt down the attackers. A team made up of personnel from the Nigerian Army, Police, Department of State Services (DSS), Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), and the Vigilante Group of Nigeria (VGN) visited the scene later in the day around 3:30 p.m.
They were accompanied by the Executive Chairman of Kokona LGA, Hon. Agbawu M. Agbawu, who described the incident as shocking and tragic.
According to sources, the bodies of the victims have been deposited at a nearby mortuary, while initial investigations suggest the violence may be connected to a long-standing land dispute in the area.
“We suspect the attack could be related to a land issue that has caused tension for some time,” a local source said.
The Nasarawa State Police Command has not yet issued an official statement, but security personnel remain on the ground to prevent further attacks and calm the situation in the area.
Nasarawa State has witnessed several incidents of violence in recent years, often triggered by disputes over land, grazing routes, and ethnic tensions. Kokona Local Government, in particular, has had a history of communal clashes and farmer-herder conflicts.
Friday’s attack adds to the growing security concerns in the North-Central region, where banditry, communal violence, and kidnappings have become more frequent.
