Suspected herdsmen have sacked Merte and Nendem villages in Akwanga local government area of Nasarawa state following a dispute with some youths in the area.

ASP Samaila Usman, spokesman of the Nasarawa State Police Command confirmed the incident to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Monday in Lafia.

According to Usman, trouble began on March 23, when a suspected herdsman allegedly assaulted and raped a lady in the area, who later died at the General Hospital Akwanga.

“Suspected Mada youths mobilised and attacked a Fulani settlement in the area, killed one person and some animals in the process.

“Later, some suspected Fulanis, in a reprisal attack, touched Merte and Nendem villages burning 27 houses,” Usman said.

He said that apart from the lady and the Fulani that was killed, no further lives were lost to the skirmishes.

He said the Commissioner of Police, Bola Longe, had deployed a detachment of officers to the area to forestall escalation of the situation.

Usman also said the police was working hard to ensure amicable resolution of the problem by summoning a stakeholders’ meeting for dialogue.

He appealed to the people to desist from taking laws into their hands and to give peace a chance.