Terrorists struck the Aso A community in Mararaba early on Wednesday morning, leaving at least six people dead and several others injured after they stormed the area and set dozens of houses on fire.
Residents said the assault came as revenge for a clash the previous day between a local farmer and a herder, which ended with the herder’s death.
What began as a single dispute quickly spiralled into a full-scale attack on the quiet settlement near Jumai Estate, right on the boundary between Abuja and Nasarawa State.
Eyewitnesses described scenes of chaos as the terrorists moved from house to house shortly after dawn.
They opened fire on anyone in sight before dousing rooftops with fuel and setting them ablaze.
Thick columns of smoke rose into the sky as families fled with whatever they could carry.
Many lost everything in the flames.
“I was still in bed when I heard gunshots,” one survivor told reporters.
“Before we knew it, our neighbours’ houses were burning.
People were screaming and running in every direction. We just ran for our lives.”
At least six bodies have so far been recovered from the scene, though community leaders fear the final death toll could rise as search teams comb through the rubble.
Several injured residents received treatment at nearby hospitals, with some in critical condition.
This latest violence highlights the fragile peace in communities on the outskirts of the capital, where farmer-herder tensions have simmered for years.
Despite repeated promises from authorities, such reprisal attacks continue to claim lives and destroy livelihoods with alarming regularity.
As night fell on Wednesday, displaced families huddled in makeshift shelters, wondering what comes next.
Security forces have since moved into the area, but many residents say the response always seems to arrive too late.
For now, fear hangs heavy over Aso A.
The community that woke up to another ordinary day has been left counting its dead and wondering how long this cycle of bloodshed will continue.
