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?

The Presidency has said that the establishment of state police to curtail insecurity in the country is close at hand.

Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, disclosed this while briefing State House correspondents on Thursday after a high-level consultative meeting convened by the Presidency at the State House, Abuja.

Gbajabiamila stated that the Federal Government has made substantial strides toward establishing state police, with a constitutional amendment anticipated in the coming weeks.

According to him, deliberations on the framework for state police began three to four months ago, following a direct order from President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

“Establishing state police is not something that you do with the snap of the fingers. There is a lot involved in terms of constitution and legalities.

“Thank God we have now gained a lot of traction. Hopefully, the amendment will come shortly, and the details of the amendment will come after that. It is close at hand,” he said.

The Chief of Staff further explained that discussions have now advanced to the stage of fine-tuning the necessary constitutional amendments, after which an enabling law will be enacted.

“Right now, what we are looking at is the constitutional amendment itself, and then the enabling law would follow thereafter,” Gbajabiamila added.

The former Speaker of the House of Representatives noted that the national conversation has shifted from whether state police should be established to how best to design its legal and institutional framework, adding that there is broad support across the country for the initiative.

A four-time member of the House of Representatives, Abdulmumin Jibrin, has expressed confidence that President Bola Tinubu will secure re-election in 2027, insisting that the opposition has already lost its chances of unseating the ruling party.

Speaking on Arise Television’s Prime Time on Wednesday, Jibrin said the current political realities and dynamics favour Tinubu ahead of the next presidential election.

The lawmaker argued that regardless of the opposition’s strategy or choice of candidates, the ruling party remains in a strong position.

He maintained that even if key opposition figures, including former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, former Anambra State governor Peter Obi and Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde, were to unite behind a common platform, Tinubu would still emerge victorious.

Jibrin added that the opposition’s current divisions further strengthened the President’s prospects, predicting that Tinubu would win the forthcoming presidential election.

Jibrin said: “I will say on a general note, on a general scale, and with the reality on ground and all of the political dynamics that we can see, no matter how you analyse it, whether with one presidential candidate you did not imagine, whether with another candidate from Ibadan, emerging, however you look at it, the opposition lost it already.

“I used to say something, even if they come together, the President will defeat them, not to talk about when they’ve split. The president will win this election, I tell you that.”

The Federal Road Safety Corps, FRSC, Abia State Sector Command has cautioned motorists against harassing cyclists riding on Abia roads, but to give them adequate space and respect.

The Sector Commander of FRSC in Abia State, Ngozi Ezeoma gave the caution on Wednesday in Umuahia during the celebration of United Nations World Cycling Day 2026.

She observed that cyclists struggle to have enough riding space on roads as they were either denied space or disrespected by motorists.

Ezeoma urged governors, local government chairmen and urban planners across the country to prioritize the interests of cyclists by ensuring that roads and the streets are not only designed for the cars, but for the bicycle riders.

Ezeoma, who said that the use of bicycle reduces air pollution and road congestion, said that it enhances good health for the citizens.

“Motorists must give cyclists adequate space and treat them with courtesy and respect.

“I also urge the state governments, LG chairmen, urban planners, and development partners to prioritize cycling-friendly infrastructure as part of sustainable urban development and also to design streets for people, not just for cars”, the Abia  FRSC Sector Commander said.

She, however, said that cyclists must obey traffic rules, wear helmet and reflective clothing to be visible on the roads.

Also in  his speech, Abia State Commissioner for Transport, Chimezie Ukaegbu urged Abia citizens, especially the youths to embrace cycling as a means of transportation, in order to reduce carbon emissions and to reduce dependence on fossil fuel.