What began as a brutal terrorist attack on communities in Odeni Gida Ward of Udege Development Area, Nasarawa Local Government Area of Nasarawa State has now evolved into something even more disturbing – the apparent occupation of deserted communities by the very attackers accused of forcing residents out.
Months after coordinated attacks left more than 80 people dead across several communities, survivors say the pain has not ended.
Homes were burnt, food stores looted, farms abandoned, and properties worth hundreds of millions destroyed.
Yet, beyond the bloodshed and displacement, many residents now fear there may be a deliberate effort to redefine what happened and bury the truth beneath the softer language of “communal clash.”
From the onset of the violence, several residents and community voices rejected attempts to describe the attacks as ordinary communal unrest. They insisted that what happened was a coordinated armed invasion carried out by alleged heavily armed Fulani attackers who stormed multiple communities simultaneously.
Despite this, some government officials and security authorities repeatedly leaned on the “communal clash” narrative, a description many affected residents believe grossly misrepresented the scale and nature of the killings.
For many survivors, the concern was not only about semantics, but about what that classification could eventually mean, accountability, justice, compensation, and even ownership of ancestral lands.
During a recent visit to affected areas by President Bola Tinubu’s Special Assistant on Community Engagement, Dr. Abiodun Essiet, another painful reality reportedly emerged.
Several of the attacked communities remain largely deserted, with displaced villagers yet to fully return home due to lingering fear and insecurity.
According to residents, some of the same individuals identified as participants in the attacks are now openly grazing cattle in those abandoned communities without resistance or challenge.
To many locals, that development has strengthened suspicions that the attacks may have been more than mere reprisals.
“The attackers have now taken over the very communities they displaced.
“That tells you this was never just a clash. It was a conquest,” one resident lamented.
Videos and photographs circulating online appear to support the scale of displacement, showing villagers, including women and children, fleeing with loads balanced on their heads as they searched for safety in neighboring settlements.
What has further fueled frustration among residents is the belief that the issue is gradually fading from public attention while attacks and intimidation allegedly continue in isolated forms, especially on farmlands.
Some community members accuse local leaders of weakening the push for justice by participating in reconciliation meetings that, according to critics, prematurely portrayed the crisis as resolved while victims were still displaced.
At one point, relief materials meant for affected persons were reportedly shared in ways some residents interpreted as equating victims with alleged attackers, a move critics say reinforced the “communal clash” narrative they had consistently opposed.
Although meetings were later held between affected communities and Fulani leaders, residents say little has been heard about whether agreements reached during those engagements were ever implemented or respected.
Meanwhile, reports of fresh attacks on farmers and continued insecurity in surrounding areas have persisted quietly, even as public discussions around the tragedy gradually diminished.
One of the loudest voices challenging the official narrative is Yahaya Kana Ismaila, who insists the attacks fit the pattern of organised armed violence rather than communal conflict.
According to him, the affected Eloyi communities share neither ethnic ties nor territorial identity with the armed men accused of carrying out the attacks, a major factor he argues weakens claims that the violence was communal in nature.
He maintained that the attackers came in large numbers, armed with sophisticated weapons, attacking multiple settlements simultaneously before burning homes and forcing residents to flee.
The debate over terminology has since become central to the crisis itself. While authorities and some stakeholders continue to frame the violence as communal unrest, many residents believe such descriptions risk minimising the gravity of what occurred.
Kana, a public affairs commentator, further described the Udege killings as a grim reminder of the growing insecurity in Nasarawa State, warning that the continued absence of arrests and accountability could deepen fear and hopelessness among residents.
According to him, despite reports that more than 70 people lost their lives in the attacks, no suspect had been arrested at the time of his reaction, a development he said raises serious concerns about justice and protection for vulnerable communities.
He lamented the destruction of homes, farm produce, motorcycles, and livelihoods built over several years, stressing that many affected families may never fully recover from the losses inflicted on them.
He further argued that the crisis had created an atmosphere where many rural residents now feel abandoned and helpless, especially in the face of recurring attacks linked to disputes over kidnapping, grazing, and destruction of farmlands.
“The painful reality is that many innocent people have been left traumatised, displaced, and uncertain about their future.
“Entire communities have been shattered, while survivors are expected to simply return and rebuild their lives amid fear and insecurity,” he stated.
He warned that unless decisive action is taken by security agencies and government authorities, the perception that armed groups can attack communities without consequences may continue to embolden criminal elements across the state.
As fear spreads across affected communities, residents continue to issue desperate appeals for urgent intervention from both the Nasarawa State and Federal Governments.
Reacting to renewed tension in parts of Odeni Gida Ward, Abdulwahid Angala Odeni described the situation as devastating.
“My people are shattered and homeless. My heritage is under invasion by radical hoodlums Fulani herdsmen. Odeni Gida Ward, Udege Development Area, Nasarawa Local Government Area, Nasarawa State.
“The Government of Nasarawa State should come to our aid.”
Another resident, Suleiman Otto Wakili, also called on federal authorities to step in.
“Fulani herdsmen attacked Sabon Gida Angwa Ogiri in Odeni Gida Ward, Nasarawa State. The Federal Government should take action concerning our situation please,” he said.
For many displaced residents, trust in local authorities appears to be fading rapidly.
Questions are increasingly being raised over the response of the Nasarawa State Government, security agencies, and emergency institutions.
Particular concern has also been expressed over the absence of large-scale humanitarian support, despite earlier assurances that aid would be provided to assist displaced persons and encourage safe return to affected communities.
Now, many victims believe the only remaining option is to push their case directly to the Presidency and demand federal intervention before more communities are permanently lost to fear, displacement, and silence.
As displaced families continue to wander between uncertainty and survival, one painful question continues to echo across Odeni Gida:
If the people cannot safely return home, then who truly owns the land now?