Tension erupted in Gurfata, a community in Abuja’s Gwagwalada Area Council, after a violent clash between farmers and herders left one farmer dead and three herders injured.
The conflict reportedly began around midday on Tuesday when two herders allowed their cattle to graze on Dahiru Yakubu’s farm, destroying his crops. According to a local resident, Yakubu confronted them, which led to an argument. One of the herders allegedly attacked him with a cutlass.
Yakubu was rushed to the University of Abuja Teaching Hospital in Gwagwalada but later died. His death sparked a reprisal from angry villagers who injured three herders and set fire to several huts in their camp.
Security forces, including police and soldiers, were deployed to the area on the orders of Area Council Chairman, Alhaji Abubakar Jibrin Giri, to restore peace.
The council’s Special Adviser on Security, Adamu Yusuf, confirmed the farmer’s burial and said investigations were ongoing. FCT MACBAN Chairman, Alhaji Wakili Madugu, also confirmed the injuries and destruction of huts.
Chairman Giri condemned the violence and urged both communities to maintain peace as security agencies continue their probe. Police in Gwagwalada have also confirmed the incident.
