Rising Insecurity: PDP Urges Gov. Sule to Protect Nasarawa Residents **** Says wave of killings now unbearable in the state

By David Odama

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the major opposition in Nasarawa State, has called on Governor Abdullahi Sule and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) government to prioritize the protection of lives and property across the state.

The call followed the rising cases of killings, kidnappings, banditry, and other violent crimes recently witnessed in different parts of Nasarawa.

In a statement issued by the State Chairman of the PDP, Alhaji Adams Bako Ninga, and signed by his Press Secretary, Jonathan Ipaa, the party reminded the government of its responsibility to protect citizens, ensure good governance, and guarantee the welfare of the people.

“It is regrettable that bandits strike and kill dozens in Doka, Rukubi, Kadarko, Agyaragu, Awe, New Karu, on their farms, in rural areas, and even in Lafia, the state capital, without any arrest,” the statement lamented.

According to the PDP, residents are no longer safe as kidnappings and brutal killings occur both in homes and public spaces, with even government workers not spared.

The party cited recent cases to highlight the situation:

On August 15, 2025, the head of the Government House kitchen, Ms. Paulina Erna, was kidnapped just a stone’s throw from the Government House in Lafia, shortly after leaving work.

On Monday, September 1, 2025, gunmen attacked two brothers in Akunza community, along the Lafia–Federal University–Makurdi Expressway. One was killed, while the other sustained critical injuries.

In a separate attack, suspected bandits stormed the Lafia residence of businessman Alhaji Mohammed Sani, killing him. Angered youths later captured one of the attackers and set him ablaze.

The PDP further noted that insecurity has reached alarming levels, with daily reports of killings and attacks in different communities.

In New Nyanya, a suburb of New Karu near the FCT, armed robbers numbering in the hundreds reportedly killed a resident and looted homes for hours without challenge.

The statement also referenced the killing of Edwin and the injury of his brother Cyril while supervising construction work at their family property. Witnesses said the attackers called the brothers by name, attempted to force their way in, and then shot through a window.

The PDP urged Governor Sule to provide adequate logistics to security agencies to effectively combat the worsening insecurity.

“We sympathize with local farmers who are abandoning their farms at harvest time. We advise the governor to adopt modern and strategic measures to stem the killings,” the party stated.

It also criticized the government’s denial of the presence of armed bandits in the state, urging security agencies to respond swiftly to alerts about heavily armed groups in areas such as Doka, Rukubi, Akpanaja (Ekye Development Area), Hamanga, Jangaru (Awe LGA), as well as Kwara, Giza, and Kadarko (Keana LGA).

The PDP further advised the state government to collaborate with neighboring FCT authorities to curb rising criminal activities in satellite towns such as New Nyanya, Maraba, Masaka, and other surrounding communities, with the aim of flushing out hoodlums.