ABUJA, June 23– At least eight people were killed in a violent clash between farmers and herders in Nigeria’s northwestern Kebbi State, police said on Tuesday.
Bashir Usman, spokesperson for the Kebbi police, said in a statement that five other people were rescued by security operatives following the unrest in Gulma town, Argungu Local Government Area, on Monday afternoon.
According to a preliminary investigation, the incident was triggered when a herder allegedly allowed cattle to stray into a farmer’s field, damaging crops. A confrontation then broke out, during which the farmer was stabbed in the neck and died at the scene.
Usman said the killing sparked outrage among some residents, who mobilized and killed the herder. The violence subsequently escalated and spread to other members of the affected community.
Despite the intervention of security personnel to restore order, four more people were killed during the ensuing unrest, while two additional bodies were later recovered from farmland on the outskirts of the town, he added.
The state government has imposed a curfew in the affected community as part of efforts to restore calm and prevent further violence. A joint security team has also been deployed to cordon off the area. (Namibia Daily News / Xinhua)
