Residents flee as 4 killed, houses burnt in farmers-herders clash in FCT

Residents of the Gudun-Karya community in the Kuje Area Council of the FCT have fled their homes after four people were killed and several houses were burnt down following a violent clash between farmers and herders.

A resident of Gudun-Karya, Ishaya Musa, stated that the incident occurred last Wednesday around 10:23 am after a misunderstanding broke out between a farmer and a herder at a farm in the area.

Musa explained that trouble started when the farmer arrived at his field to find cows grazing on his cassava crops.

He reportedly approached the herder to question why the animals were allowed to destroy the farm. During the argument, the herder allegedly attacked the farmer. The farmer sustained several deep cuts, collapsed, and died before he could be rushed to a local hospital.

According to Musa, news of the attack sparked an immediate reaction from local youths, who mobilized for a reprisal. The resulting violence led to the death of four people.

“The deceased farmer went to his farm and discovered cows eating his cassava. He began quarreling with the herder, and the next thing, the herder brought out a cutlass and stabbed the farmer, which led to his death,” Musa said.

He added that the angry youths turned violent, burning several houses and herders’ huts in the community. The situation created intense tension, forcing both residents and herders to flee their homes for safety.

Reacting to the incident, the chairman of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN) in the FCT, Alhaji Jibrin Wakili Madudgu, confirmed the report.

He stated that the association would be holding a meeting with the chairman of the Kuje Area Council, Alhaji Abdullahi Suleiman Sabo, regarding the clash.

He noted that the association would brief the press before the end of the week, following the meeting with the council chairman over in the Gudun-Karya community.

“Actually, I just received information about the incident that happened between farmers and herders in the Gudun-Karya community, and we will be having a meeting with the Chairman of Kuje over the incident. We shall address the press regarding the development before the end of this week,” he told our reporter via telephone on Monday.

Also, the councilor representing Gudun-Karya Ward, Bitrus Rabo, confirmed the incident via telephone on Sunday.

He stated that the four deceased individuals comprised three herders and one native of the community.

Rabo confirmed that while several houses belonging to both natives and herders were set ablaze, security operatives have since been deployed to stabilise the area.

“As I speak, the situation is now under control. Security operatives, led by the DPO in the area, have restored peace, and those who fled their homes have started returning,” Rabo said.

The police confirmed the incident but declined to provide further details, directing Abuja Metro to the FCT Police Command. Repeated calls to the spokesperson of the command, SP Josephine Adeh, were not answered at the time of filing this report.

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