- It has been reported that at least 6 people have been killed in clashes between farmers and herdsmen
- One report says the herdsmen hacked the security guard of a farm to death after destroying the crops
- The violence that broke out is as a result of herdsmen leading their cattle into the farms
Clashes between farmers and herdsmen in Yola South local government area of Adamawa state has reportedly led to the death of at least six people.
According to Premium Times, the first incident occurred on Wednesday, October 25, when some herdsmen damaged a farm in Sangere, a suburb of Yola, Adamawa.
Witnesses said a security guard named Gibson Nathan guarding the farm challenged the herders for tresspassing.
They responded by “attacking and killing him,” a resident of the area said.
The herders reportedly “hacked Nathan to death with their sharp axes beyond recognition before leaving the scene.”
In a separate attack, four members of the same family were reportedly attacked and killed in their farm by some herdsmen on Friday, October 27, at Tudun-Hassan Village, adjacent to the popular Malkohi IDP camp also in Yola south LGA.
A group of herdsmen led their cattle into the farm and began destroying crops.
A witness, Baba Abdul, said: “By the time they asked the rearers what informed their illegal action, the next thing was physical assault using dangerous weapons which resulted to their untimely deaths.”
He alleged that a policeman who was living close to the farm “rushed to offer help but was also killed by the herdsmen.”
In yet another attack, a group of herdsmen led their cattle into a farm at Tashan Jinga Village also in the same local government.
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Residents, however, said the farmers sent a distress call to Agro-Rangers unit of the Nigeria Security And Civil Defence Corps,NSCDC, Adamawa state command.
The NSCDC team who arrived the scene were allegedly attacked with poisonous arrows by the herdsmen.
A witness said the bullets fired by the security agents appeared not to penetrate the herdsmen, adding “the situation made the defence corps to retreat back for re-enforcement but one officer had already sustained serious injury as a result of multiple cuts he received.”
He said: “The Toyota Hilux vehicle used in the operation was badly smashed by the herdsmen while one of their rifle was carted away by the herdsmen in the quagmire”.
Suleiman Baba, the spokesperson of the NSCDC in the state said: “It was true that our men on rescue operation were attacked by some herdsmen along Yola area on Saturday.
“The Agro-Rangers were ambushed on their way to the troubled farm. They (herdsmen) laid attack even before our men can take positions.
“During this fierce battle, two officers were injured and one was beaten with sticks and macheted and is being hospitalised at Yola Specialist Hospital."
Mr Baba said one of their rifle “got missing” during the fight but “two of the suspects were apprehended” and that the missing rifle “will surely come out in due course.”
Spokesperson of the Adamawa police command, Othman Abubakar, said although he was aware of Mr Nathan’s killing, he is yet to be officially briefed on the other incidents.
He also said he is only aware of a clash between farmers and herders in Yolde-patte, also a suburb of Yola, where, he said, the police arrested over two hundred cows that destroyed some farms.
He said owners of the cattle had already agreed to pay for the damages caused by their animals.
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NAIJ.com earlier reported that the Nigeria police force, Zamfara command, has denied rumour making rounds on social media that a group of herdsmen killed 120 residents of Zamfara on Saturday, October 21.
The rumour started when one Facebook user, Waziri Mohammed, who claimed to work with NEMA, took to his social media page to claim some herdsmen killed 120 residents of Zamfara. Mohammed, on his Facebook page, claimed that the attack occurred on Saturday and the media has refused to report it.
Southern Kaduna killings: part 1 - on NAIJ.com TV.
Source: Naija.ng