5 Killed, Scores Injured, House, Shops Razed As Farmers, Herders Clash In Niger

Five persons have been killed during a clash between farmers and  herders in Barskuta village of Bosso Local Government Area of Niger State.

Besides those feared dead, several others were said to have sustained injuries and are receiving treatment in health centres in Minna, the state capital.

Reporters also gathered that many domestic animals were killed while many were also stolen during the fracas. The clash also left some houses and shops completely razed down within the community.

The violence, it was gathered, started as a result of the killing of one Sule Mohammed by suspected herders in his farm and his corpse dumped in a stream near the farm.

The deceased had earlier complained about the invasion of his farm and eventually destroyed by some cattle belonging to yet-to-be identified herder.

Relatives of the deceased after waiting endlessly for his return home traced him to his farm only to meet his lifeless body in the stream.

An alarm was, subsequently, raised in the village over the killing of the farmer and the villagers mobilised to the settlement of the herders for a reprisal, which led to deaths and others ending up with injuries.

Dangerous weapons such as daggers, sticks among others were said to have been freely used during the attack which was said to have spread to Beji town.

This led to the directive for the closedown of the weekly Wednesday market in Beji town, yesterday, to forestall further loss of lives and property.

The state government had already despatched armed policemen and soldiers to the troubled areas to keep peace.

However, many of the villagers within the affected community have fled the area in fear of a reprisal attack by the herders.

A source from Beji town, who prayed anonymity confirmed the incident and number of persons killed.

The Police Public Relations Officer, Niger State Police Command, Wasiu Abiodun in a statement yesterday, also confirmed the incident but did not confirm the number of those dead.

The statement reads,”On 27/08/2024 at 0700hrs, report received indicated that one  Sule Moh’d of Barkuta Village, Bosso LGA went to his farm with his son and sighted some cattle in the farm and he instructed his son to go home while he traced for the owner of the cattle.

“The  Moh’d didn’t return home which necessitated his family to search for him and unfortunately, he was found dead in a river within the area suspected to have been killed by a yet to be identified person.”