4 injured as farmers, herders clash again in FCT

A new crisis has erupted between farmers and herders in the Gwomani community of Kwali Area Council in the Federal Capital Territory. Abuja Metro reports that four people were injured in the latest attack, which occurred on Saturday. This incident comes barely two weeks after a similar clash between farmers and herders claimed three lives […]

A new crisis has erupted between farmers and herders in the Gwomani community of Kwali Area Council in the Federal Capital Territory.

Abuja Metro reports that four people were injured in the latest attack, which occurred on Saturday.

This incident comes barely two weeks after a similar clash between farmers and herders claimed three lives and left seven others injured in the Gurfata community of Gwagwalada Area Council.

A Gwomani resident, Shuaibu Usman, confirmed the clash to Abuja Metro by telephone on Monday, stating that it began around 2 pm on Saturday.

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He said the conflict started when herders allegedly moved their cows into a beniseed farm, destroying the crops.

The farmer, who was harvesting his beniseed, confronted the herders, leading to an altercation.

According to Usman, one of the herders hit the farmer with a stick, and the farmer retaliated with a piece of firewood.

“It was during that process that one of the herders pulled out a cutlass and stabbed the farmer on the head, causing serious injuries,” he said.

He said another farmer who witnessed the incident rushed home to report it, adding that vigilantes were immediately mobilized to the farm and arrested the two herders.

Usman said that when other herders discovered their kinsmen had been arrested, they returned to the farm and attacked four farmers with machetes, inflicting various degrees of injuries on them.

The traditional ruler of Gwomani, Alhaji Adamu Saba, also confirmed the incident to our reporter by telephone on Monday night.

He said he was traveling when he received a call that four people had been attacked by herders on a beniseed farm.

The monarch said upon his return, he learned that the crisis began after herders let their cows into the farm and were confronted by the farmer.

“Upon my inquiry, I was told the farmer was busy harvesting his beniseed when the herders moved their cattle into the farm. The farmer questioned them and asked them to take their cows out of his farm, but the herders snubbed him,” he said.

The monarch explained that the initial altercation led to one farmer being injured.

“So, when the vigilantes got wind of the incident and mobilized to the farm to arrest the two herders, the herders mobilized themselves and returned to the farm, where they attacked four farmers and inflicted serious injuries on them,” he added.

Alhaji Saba directed the four victims to be taken to Rhema Clinic in Kwali for treatment.

“One of the four injured farmers was discharged from the hospital on Sunday, while the others, whose injuries are worse, are still at the hospital,” he said.

Alhaji Saba also disclosed that police have arrested suspects in connection with the clash.

When contacted, the chairman of the FCT chapter of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN), Alhaji Wakili Madugu, confirmed the incident but said he was still awaiting details.

He said he had directed the chief of Fulani in the community to brief him and would get back to the reporter once he had more information.

As of the time of filing the report, he had not yet done so.

Police at the Kwali divisional headquarters confirmed the arrest of some suspects over the clash but declined to provide further details.

The spokesperson for the FCT police command, SP Adeh Josephine, could not be reached for comment on the incident.