Three herders have reportedly been killed and several people injured in a renewed clash between farmers and herders in Paikon-Kore community, Gwagwalada Area Council of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
The violence, which started on Saturday afternoon and continued until Sunday morning, also left two houses, several shops and a motorcycle burnt, while goods were destroyed at the community market.
A resident, Danlami Ibrahim, said the clash started after some herders allegedly allowed their cattle into a groundnut farm whose crops were yet to be harvested.
He said the farm owner confronted the herders, triggering an argument during which one of the herders allegedly attacked the farmer with a cutlass, severing one of his hands.
Ibrahim said the incident angered other residents and led to a reprisal attack in which three herders were reportedly killed.
He added that several people sustained injuries during the violence, with some taken to hospitals in Gwagwalada for treatment.
A visit to the affected market showed several wooden, zinc-built and container shops burnt, while victims were seen receiving treatment at Sabon Nakowa Hospital and the University of Abuja Teaching Hospital.
The Secretary of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN), Gwagwalada Area Council chapter, Mohammed Usman, confirmed the death of three herders.
“For now, information at my disposal shows that three herders lost their lives. That is what I can say for now, while I am yet to get the number of those who sustained injuries,” he said.
The Gwagwalada Area Council chairman, Kasim Mohammed Ikwa, who visited the affected community on Sunday alongside the Divisional Police Officer, SP Aaron H. Kaura, and other security operatives, condemned the violence.
He said the council would convene a stakeholders’ meeting on Monday to address the crisis and prevent further attacks.
Ikwa urged farmers and herders to embrace peace, warning residents against retaliation. He advised farmers whose crops were damaged by cattle to report such incidents to security agencies rather than resort to self-help.
He added that youth leaders, the Sarkin Noma and other community leaders from both sides had been invited to an expanded security meeting to find a lasting solution.
Soldiers, police officers, vigilantes and personnel of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) have been deployed to the community to restore calm.
The FCT Police Command spokesperson, SP Adeh Josephine, did not answer calls seeking the command’s reaction as of the time of filing this report.
The latest clash followed a similar incident on August 11, 2026, across Paikon-Kore, Ibwa and Rafin-Zurfi communities, during which a farmer reportedly lost a hand and three other people sustained machete injuries.
Following that incident, Ikwa set up a peace and investigative committee after a security meeting involving traditional rulers, community leaders and security agencies.
Security analyst and chairman of Beacon Consulting, Dr Kabiru Adamu, called for stronger early warning systems and prompt intervention by security agencies to prevent disputes from escalating into violence.
He also urged authorities to ensure impartial law enforcement and provide effective mechanisms for resolving disputes, including compensation for farmers whose crops are destroyed by cattle.
Adamu further called on traditional rulers, religious leaders and community stakeholders to intervene early and cautioned against the spread of misinformation capable of worsening tensions.