Land dispute: District head, 15 others injured as communities clashed in Gombe

Gwani and Kinafa communities in Yamaltu Deba Local Government area of Gombe State lived peacefully for a very long time, but last week crisis erupted between the communities leaving at least 15 people critically injured. Surprisingly, the people of the two communities are from the same tribe, that is Terawa and have a boundary of […]

Gwani and Kinafa communities in Yamaltu Deba Local Government area of Gombe State lived peacefully for a very long time, but last week crisis erupted between the communities leaving at least 15 people critically injured.
Surprisingly, the people of the two communities are from the same tribe, that is Terawa and have a boundary of not more than a kilometer between them. Until recently, they lived peacefully with one another and with inter marriage between them.
The cordial relationship enjoyed by the communities had last week turned soar when one group allegedly threatened to wipe away their neighbors, a dispute that left a district head and 15 others critically injured.
In his account of the incident the Caretaker Committee Chairman of Yamaltu Deba Local Government Area, Haruna Samanja Bawa said the crisis started over farm land belonging to the government where the two communities used for dry season farming.
The chairman said instead of the parties involved in the crisis to show brotherhood and understanding there was attack in which both sides suffered casualties. Eleven (11) people from Kinafa and four (4) people from Gwani communities sustained injuries and luckily, no life was lost.
He said among the victims he saw were those injured with bow and arrows while others were macheted. The district head of Kinafa was beaten seriously to extent he could not walk, adding that “but we thank God they are responding to treatment and only two injured persons were referred to teaching hospital where they will undergo surgery to remove arrows from their bodies”.
The chairman said after the incident they went to the two warring communities along with the lawmaker representing the area and sensitized them on the importance of peaceful coexistence and pledged to punish whoever had hand in the attack.
He said hence law and order was restored in the area and the two communities pledged to live in peace with one another, local government would request establishment of divisional police station in the area to protect people and to stop miscreants from taking law in their hands.
Bawa said initially they divided the land into two and gave each community one but the feud started when they were working in the farms. He reiterated that the local council would use all necessary measures to end the crisis.
A community leader of one of the communities, Mallam Abdu Kinafa told Kano Chronicle that 12 people were affected from his community among which six were critically injured.
However, staff of Gombe specialist hospital who prepared to be anonymous said 11 injured people were taken to the hospital and only one was referred to the teaching hospital Gombe while the remaining victims were receiving treatment.
In his account of the incident on his hospital bed, District Head of Kinafa Alhaji Muhammad Musa Inuwa said the incident started over a land approved to his community by the Upper Benue Development Authority.
The district head said there was disagreement between the two communities and they reported the matter to the Police. Divisional police officer resolved the matter against Gwani community and they were not happy with the resolution.
Inuwa also alleged that there was a place earmarked by upper Benue for animals to drink water and farmers were restricted from the place but Gwani community had been planting crops in the area since 2013. This problem was there for over three years without solution.
He said Gwani people planted their crops, youths in his area also asked upper Benue to give them where they would plant rice and approval was given to them and as a result of that the Gwani people later planted their crops in the prohibited area. That was the reason the matter was reported to the police.
He said on that fateful day which the attack took place, he was at his farm along with his 12-year old boy, youths numbering about 30 attacked him and threatened to kill him. They beat him with sticks and cutlass and later they attacked his community where injured six people.
The district head said he warned his community not to take law into their hands and appeal to the security agencies to intervened in order to have sustainable peace in the area.
Efforts to get the district head of Gwani failed, but a resident of the area Musa Gwani said the incident started when Kinafa community entered their land and planted crops. Gwani people reported the matter to authorities and they could not do anything.
He said youth from the area were not happy with attitude of the authorities towards the issue and therefore asked Kinafa people to leave the place and they refused.
Musa said the incident lingered for over two years and normalcy was restored in the area. He appealed to the Local council and upper Benue to allow their farmers to plant crops in their area in the interest of peace and Justice.
Police Public Relations Officer in the state DSP Fwaje Attajiri said he had no details of the crisis and promised to give the same at appropriate time.