Three people have been confirmed dead and several others injured following a renewed clash between farmers and herders in the Paikon-Kore community, located in the Gwagwalada Area Council of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). Several houses and a motorcycle were also set ablaze during the violence.
The crisis erupted on Saturday afternoon and persisted until Sunday morning, leaving multiple shops at the Paikon-Kore village market gutted and goods destroyed. Experts have emphasized the urgent need to nip the brewing conflict in the bud to prevent the catastrophic scenarios witnessed in states like Benue and Plateau, where similar disputes have claimed hundreds of lives and displaced many.
Danlami Ibrahim, a local resident, explained that the confrontation began after herders allegedly allowed their cattle to graze on an unharvested groundnut farm. When the farm owner confronted them, a heated argument ensued, during which one of the herders reportedly drew a cutlass and severed the farmer’s hand.
The gruesome attack incited widespread anger among community members, resulting in a reprisal that left three herders dead. Two houses, multiple shops, and a motorcycle were destroyed by fire before calm was temporarily restored on Sunday morning. Injured victims were rushed to various medical facilities in Gwagwalada for treatment.
A Daily Trust correspondent who visited the market observed charred wooden, zinc-built, and container shops, with smoke still billowing from the wreckage. Victims were receiving medical attention at Sabon Nakowa Hospital and the accident and emergency unit of the University of Abuja Teaching Hospital.
Mohammed Usman, Secretary of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN), Gwagwalada Area Council chapter, confirmed the death of three herders. Gwagwalada Area Council Chairman Kasim Mohammed Ikwa visited the community alongside Divisional Police Officer SP Aaron H. Kaura and other security personnel to assess the damage.
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Ikwa announced that the council would convene an emergency stakeholders’ meeting to devise lasting solutions. Meanwhile, a joint security team comprising soldiers, police officers, vigilantes, and personnel from the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) has been deployed to the community. FCT Police Command spokesperson SP Adeh Josephine could not be reached for comments, according to Daily Trust.
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Athekame Kenneth is a politics, economy, and finance reporter whose work is anchored in sharp investigative storytelling. He brings analytical depth to every piece, drawing on a strong academic foundation that includes a degree in Economics, an MBA in International Trade, and a minor in Petroleum Economics from Lagos State University, Ojo. His reporting blends rigorous research with a keen eye for hidden truths, delivering stories that illuminate power, policy, and the forces shaping everyday lives.
