Gunmen attack Kebbi community, kill village head

Gunmen have struck Lafagu village in the Local Government Area of Bagudo in Kebbi State and have killed the community’s village head.

The spokesman for the Kebbi State Police Force, Bashir Usman, confirmed this via a text message on Sunday.

Usman, however, did not reveal the identity of the deceased village head. He added that some suspects had been arrested in connection with the attack.

The police spokesperson said further details would be made available as the investigation progresses.

“Yes, it’s true the village head was killed in Lafagu under Bagudo Local Government, but we have made some arrests in respect of the incident and we would provide details later,” he said.

However, residents who spoke to our correspondent gave a different account of the identity of the attackers, saying they were uncertain whether the perpetrators were bandits or members of an armed ethnic militia.

A source, Tukur Abubakar Kaoje, said members of the Fulani, Kambarawa and Bargawa communities had lived together in the area for decades.

He alleged that tensions escalated in recent months following the reported infiltration of some communities by Lakurawa fighters, who were accused of cattle rustling and kidnapping.

According to him, some members of the Bargawa and Kambarawa communities subsequently formed an armed group which they accused of targeting Fulani residents over allegations of involvement in the crimes.

Kaoje further alleged that the militia recently invaded Boya village, where several Fulani residents were reportedly killed.

“Yes, the village head was beheaded in Lafagu, but we are not sure the killers are bandits or Lakurawa. It was allegedly carried out by the armed ethnic militia,” he said.

He described the situation in Lafagu and neighbouring communities in Bagudo as tense and called for urgent government intervention.

Kaoje warned that failure to address the situation could lead to further escalation and make the crisis more difficult to contain.

The police said investigation into the incident was ongoing.