Farmers-herders violence in FCT

Three people have reportedly lost their lives and others have been injured in a renewed farmers-herders conflict in Paikon-Kore, a community in Gwagwalada Area Council of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). The violence started on Saturday afternoon and continued until Sunday morning, with houses and a motorcycle set ablaze, along with several shops at the village market.

Experts caution that the situation must be resolved quickly to prevent a recurrence of deadly clashes seen in other states like Benue and Plateau, where hundreds have died and many were displaced. A local resident, Danlami Ibrahim, explained that the clash erupted when herders allowed their cattle into an unharvested groundnut farm, leading to an argument with the farm owner.

One herder allegedly used a cutlass to sever a farmer's hand, sparking anger among residents and culminating in the retaliatory killing of three herders. Several shops, including wooden, zinc-built, and container shops, were destroyed, and victims received treatment at Sabon Nakowa Hospital and the University of Abuja Teaching Hospital.

The Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN) reported that three herders died, and the Gwagwalada Area Council chairman, Kasim Mohammed Ikwa, condemned the violence, vowing to convene a stakeholders' meeting to find a peaceful resolution.