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What started as a deadly terrorist assault on communities in Odeni Gida Ward of Udege Development Area, Nasarawa Local Government Area of Nasarawa State, has reportedly taken a more troubling dimension, as displaced residents allege that the attackers are now occupying the abandoned communities.

Several months after the coordinated attacks claimed more than 80 lives across different communities, survivors say the suffering has continued.

Houses were set ablaze, food storage facilities looted, farmlands deserted, while properties valued at hundreds of millions of naira were destroyed.

However, beyond the killings and displacement, many residents now fear there may be deliberate attempts to redefine the incident and downplay the reality by describing it as a mere “communal clash.”

From the beginning of the violence, several residents and community stakeholders rejected attempts to classify the attacks as ordinary communal unrest.

They maintained that the incident was a coordinated armed invasion allegedly carried out by heavily armed Fulani attackers who invaded several communities simultaneously.

Despite this, some government officials and security agencies repeatedly referred to the attacks as a “communal clash,” a description many affected residents insist failed to reflect the scale and nature of the killings.

For many survivors, the issue goes beyond semantics, as they believe the classification could affect accountability, justice, compensation and even ownership of ancestral lands.

During a recent visit to the affected communities by President Bola Tinubu’s Special Assistant on Community Engagement, Dr. Abiodun Essiet, another disturbing development reportedly surfaced.

Several of the attacked communities reportedly remain deserted, as displaced residents are yet to fully return due to lingering fear and insecurity.

Residents alleged that some individuals identified as participants in the attacks are now openly grazing cattle within the abandoned communities without any form of resistance.

To many locals, the development has further strengthened suspicions that the attacks may have gone beyond ordinary 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 reportedly support the extent of the displacement, showing women, children and other villagers fleeing with loads on their heads in search of safety in neighbouring communities.

Residents expressed frustration that public attention on the crisis appears to be fading despite reports that attacks and intimidation have continued quietly, particularly around farmlands.

Some community members accused local leaders of weakening the push for justice by participating in reconciliation meetings which, according to critics, prematurely suggested the crisis had been resolved while victims remained displaced.

At a point, relief materials meant for affected victims were allegedly distributed in a manner some residents interpreted as equating victims with suspected attackers, a move critics say reinforced the “communal clash” narrative they had rejected from the onset.

Although meetings were later held between affected communities and Fulani leaders, residents said little has been heard regarding whether agreements reached during those engagements were implemented.

Meanwhile, reports of fresh attacks on farmers and lingering insecurity in nearby areas have continued quietly, even as public conversations surrounding the tragedy gradually diminished.

One of the strongest voices challenging the official narrative is Yahaya Kana Ismaila, who argued that the attacks reflected 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 factor he believes weakens claims that the violence was communal.

He maintained that the attackers invaded in large numbers with sophisticated weapons, attacking several settlements simultaneously before burning houses and forcing residents to flee.

The argument over terminology has since become central to the crisis itself.

While some authorities and stakeholders continue to describe the violence as communal unrest, many residents believe such descriptions diminish the severity of what occurred.

Kana, a public affairs commentator, further described the killings in Udege as a reflection of worsening insecurity in Nasarawa State.

He warned 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 during the attacks, no suspect had been arrested at the time of his reaction, a development he said raises serious concerns over justice and protection for vulnerable communities.

He lamented the destruction of homes, motorcycles, farm produce and livelihoods built over many years, stressing that many affected families may never recover fully from the losses.

He further argued that the crisis has created a situation where many rural dwellers now feel abandoned and helpless, especially amid recurring attacks linked to kidnapping, grazing disputes 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 security agencies and government authorities take decisive action, the perception that armed groups can attack communities without consequences may continue to embolden criminal elements across the state.

As fear continues to spread across affected communities, residents have intensified calls for urgent intervention from both the Nasarawa State Government and the Federal Government.

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 appealed to the Federal Government for intervention.

“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, confidence in local authorities appears to be fading rapidly.

Questions are increasingly being raised regarding the response of the Nasarawa State Government, security agencies and emergency institutions.

Concerns have also been expressed over the absence of large-scale humanitarian support despite earlier assurances that aid would be provided to support displaced persons and facilitate their safe return.

Now, many victims believe their only remaining option is to take their appeal directly to the Presidency and demand federal intervention before more communities are permanently lost to fear, displacement and silence.

As displaced families continue to struggle 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?

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