A disturbing security situation is unfolding in Nasarawa State, where displaced residents claim that the very gunmen who drove them out of their ancestral homes have now taken full control of their villages.
The affected communities, located within the Odeni Gida Ward of the Udege Development Area (Nasarawa Local Government Area), are facing an ongoing crisis months after a wave of brutal, coordinated attacks claimed more than 80 lives. The initial violence left homes incinerated, farms ruined, and property worth millions destroyed. Today, however, the nightmare has taken a new turn: the territory has essentially been occupied.
A Clash or a Conquest?
One of the biggest points of frustration for the survivors is how the crisis is being framed by official channels. While state government officials and security agencies have frequently categorized the violence as a traditional “communal clash,” locals strongly reject this narrative. They argue that labeling it a simple clash downplays the gravity of an organized territorial invasion.
Public affairs commentator Yahaya Kana Ismaila highlighted that the indigenous Eloyi communities have no common ethnic or territorial identity with the heavily armed aggressors. According to Kana, the attackers arrived in large numbers with advanced weaponry, striking multiple targets simultaneously to drive the population away—a pattern that mirrors a deliberate campaign rather than local infighting.
Cattle Grazing in Deserted Villages
The gravity of the occupation came to light during a recent assessment tour by Dr. Abiodun Essiet, President Bola Tinubu’s Special Assistant on Community Engagement. Local sources revealed that because villagers are still too terrified to return home, suspects linked to the initial attacks are now openly grazing their cattle across the abandoned farmlands and empty homesteads without any resistance.
“The attackers have taken over the very communities they displaced,” one local resident lamented, pointing out that this behavior proves the motive was land acquisition.
Calls for Justice and Federal Intervention
Adding to the communities’ heartbreak is the complete lack of accountability. Despite the high death toll and massive destruction of livelihoods, no suspects have reportedly been arrested or prosecuted. Furthermore, residents complain that humanitarian assistance has been virtually non-existent, leaving families displaced and scattered across neighboring regions.
Local leaders are now bypassing state authorities to plead directly with the federal government. Abdulwahid Angala Odeni described the state of his people as “shattered and homeless,” pleading with federal security forces to reclaim their heritage from radical elements. Echoing this, Suleiman Otto Wakili urged the Presidency to take immediate action regarding the ongoing occupation in Sabon Gida Angwa Ogiri.
As the conflict fades from mainstream headlines, displaced families are left with a harrowing question: If the government cannot guarantee their safe return, who truly owns their ancestral land now?