48 die in violent communal clash involving Fulani herders in Niger

More than 48 persons have lost their lives following a brutal fight that broke out between the Fulani and Kamuku ethnic nationalities in the Tegina region of Rafi Local Government Area in Niger State.

The local community disclosed that the fight broke out at dawn Wednesday as machete-bearing herders attacked the Kamuku community, killing 42 people, mostly comprising women, children, and elderly people.

Witnesses explained that some of the victims were brutally murdered while others were reported to have been burnt alive during the attack.

Images showing the destruction of properties in the community were released by residents.

A local resident, Ibrahim Musa, revealed that a wave of fear has gripped the locality, causing people living on the fringes of the Tegina community to move to the main town.

He added that the Kamuku community later retaliated, leading to the killing of six herders who were working in a plantation in the vicinity.

It is also reported that they burned the houses, grain silos and vehicles owned by the family.

SP Wasiu Abiodun, who is a spokesperson for the Niger State Police Command, confirmed the attack.

According to him, the police are yet to compile the total number of casualties and would provide further information once they get full reports from officers on the ground.

This recent attack is linked to the tensions that started from May, when a monetary donation given by Senator Sani Musa of Niger East Senatorial District was shared to the people of the area via a Fulani leader called Muhammed Shehu.

Unfortunately, Muhammed Shehu died under unclear circumstances as his dead body was recovered around an office which belongs to a vigilante group mainly made up of Kamuku people.

The death of Muhammed Shehu led to allegations of the vigilantes being responsible for the murder over the donation money.

The attack was followed by retaliatory attacks as members of both groups targeted each other.

Also, in May, armed herders attacked a local market in Tegina, assaulting vigilante members and disrupting business.

Eight people were killed in this earlier bout of violence.

Tegina continues to be among the worst-hit communities as far as insecurity is concerned in the North-Central region of Nigeria.

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This community has been subjected to various attacks by bandits, including kidnappings.

On 27 May 2021, gunmen kidnapped 136 pupils from Salihu Tanko Islamiyya School in Tegina.

Before then, just a few months earlier, 27 students had been kidnapped from Government Science College in Kagara, Niger State.

Even though peace had prevailed for many years between Fulani herders and Kamuku farmers, the fresh cycle of attacks has caused severe strain on relations between the two groups.