The unfortunate incident occurred last Saturday in Jimjimi, situated in the Gudu Local Government Area near the border of Nigeria and Niger Republic.Â
Umma Maikano, the council chairman, reported that four individuals lost their lives in a clash involving residents from the Hausa and Fulani communities in Sokoto State, located in Northwest Nigeria.
Before the incident, some members of the Hausa farming community noticed the absence of Fulani residents in their settlements a few days earlier.
This unusual situation was followed by the alarming sound of gunshots from various directions.
Maikano, emphasizing his neutrality, stated that his primary responsibility as the political head of the local government area is to safeguard the lives and property of all citizens. He acknowledged the loss of two lives from each side involved in the conflict.
The conflict stemmed from a dispute over land between Fulani herders and Hausa farmers.
An anonymous herder revealed that last Wednesday, Hausa individuals returned from the bush to discover that two of their community members were missing.
They immediately suspected the Fulanis and accused them of being responsible for the disappearance.
In response to the escalating tension, the Fulani leader instructed their community to evacuate their settlements to prevent further violence.
However, before they could do so, Hausa residents attacked their settlement, setting fire to their makeshift shelters and causing the death of two Fulani individuals. The matter was promptly reported to the local government chairman.
Efforts are currently underway to negotiate peace between the conflicting communities, as mentioned by the council chairman.
When contacted for comments, ASP Rufa’i Ahmad, the spokesperson for the state police command, expressed his unavailability to confirm the incident immediately.
He requested time to verify the matter but had not provided any updates by the time of the press report.
