A deadly clash, which erupted in Barkuta community, Beji district, Bosso local government area of Niger State, has claimed an unspecified number of persons.
The violence occurred on Tuesday morning between the indigenous Gbagyi people and herdsmen, leaving several persons severely injured and homes destroyed.
Though details of the clash are not clear, the conflict allegedly began when herdsmen killed a prominent farmer, simply known as Alhaji, who had protested against cattle encroaching on his farm.
It was learnt that Alhaji took his complaints to the herders’ settlement on Monday evening over the incident that occurred on his farm.
We learnt that when Alhaji failed to return from his visit to the herdsmen’s settlement on Monday evening, community members launched a search party and discovered his body in the bush on Tuesday morning.
Enraged by the discovery, the community were said to have mobilized and attacked the herdsmen’s enclaves, leading to a confrontation that purportedly claimed multiple lives and left many injured.
It was further learnt that the area is now gripped by fear and anxiety, prompting residents to flee in anticipation of retaliatory attacks.
When contacted, the state Police command through the Public Relations Officer, SP Wasiu Abiodun confirmed the incident, but said the report was currently sketchy.
He added that “the command will issue a statement on it when we have more information on the cause of the confrontation between the farmers and headers, including the number of casualties in Bosso local government”.
