Newborn, pregnant woman shot dead in Nasarawa

A pregnant woman and a newborn are among the 16 people killed in an attack on Numa village, Akwanga local government area of Nasarawa state, on Sunday.

Philip Gyunka, senator representing Nasarawa north, disclosed this to reporters on Monday.

He said the gunmen struck during a naming ceremony in the community on Sunday.

Gyunka said the parents of the newborn were also shot dead.

“The unfortunate thing is that both the celebrants- the father, mother and the boy were killed,” he said.

“A pregnant woman is involved in this attack. An aged person above 100 years is also involved in the attack. They did not spare women or children and this are the people that don’t have arms.”

Samuel Mashi, chairman of the local government, also spoke to NAN on the incident, saying it happened around 10pm.

“They just started shooting sporadically on a community that was just having merriment,” he said.

“Unfortunately 16 people were killed in cold blood for just no reason.”

The chairman said security had been beefed up in the affected community and environs to forestall reprisal attacks and further breakdown of law and order.

Samson Gamu-Yare, Chun-Mada and chairman traditional council of Akwanga, described the attack as barbaric.

He added that apart from the 16 people killed, so many others were injured and are receiving treatment in various hospitals.

He called on the state and federal government to urgently fish out the perpetrators of the attack.

The monarch urged people of the affected community to remain law abiding even in the face of the unprovoked attack.

Mohammed Akira, deputy commissioner of police in charge of criminal investigation department (CID), said the command had been mobilised in the area to forestall further breakdown of law an order.

The attack comes one month after similar ones in Merte and Nandem communities of the same LGA.