A violent clash between Fulani and Gwari residents in Gurfata village, Gwagwalada Area Council of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), has left one person dead and at least 31 houses destroyed.
The conflict, which occurred on Tuesday, was reportedly sparked by a dispute between a Fulani man, Shaibu Adamu, and a Gwari farmer named Sa’adu over the use of a path through farmland.
According to local sources, the disagreement started around 10:30 a.m. when Adamu tried to walk through Sa’adu’s farmland without any cattle. Sa’adu objected and asked him to use a different route. The argument escalated into a fight, and both men sustained minor injuries.
The altercation quickly reignited ethnic tensions in the village. In the aftermath, Adamu’s elder brother, Ibrahim, allegedly attacked a Gwari resident, Dahiru Yakubu, with a machete. Yakubu was rushed to the University of Abuja Teaching Hospital but later died from his injuries.
Following his death, angry Gwari youths launched a reprisal attack on the Fulani settlement in Gurfata, burning down 31 houses and injuring at least three people.
Troops from the Nigerian Army, along with other security forces, were deployed to the area to stop the violence and restore order.
Authorities have called for peace and urged both communities to remain calm. Mediation efforts are underway to prevent further violence. As of Wednesday, normalcy had returned to the village, although tensions remain high.
