Farmers-herdsmen clash: Death toll rises to 10 in Jigawa

The death toll from a violent clash between farmers in Gululu village and a Fulani settlement in Yankunama, Jigawa State, has climbed to 10, according to local authorities.

The conflict reportedly began late Thursday night when suspected herders broke into a shop in Gululu village and stole bags of hibiscus belonging to a local farmer.

Malam Muhammad Sarkin-Dori, the head of Gululu village, explained the events that led to the violence: “We woke up this morning with a provision shop broken by suspected thieves, in which some residents decided to follow the footpaths of the suspected thieves, which led them to the nearby Fulani settlement where the violent clash occurred.”

The confrontation escalated when the herders, armed with bows and arrows, confronted the villagers tracing the stolen goods. Sarkin-Dori detailed the aftermath: “One Dauda Kafinta, who was declared missing during the melee, was later found dead with bow and arrow injuries, and four people were referred to Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital after their initial admission at Jahun General Hospital in the State.”

The spokesperson for the Jigawa State Police Command, SP Lawal Shiisu Adam, confirmed the incident. “On 03/01/2025, information from Gululu village in Miga LGA indicated that a group of miscreants suspected to be Fulani broke into a shop and stole a quantity of hibiscus and other provisions,” he said.

Adam added that the villagers, after tracing the footprints to the Fulani settlement, were attacked with bows and arrows, leaving four people seriously injured. In response, the villagers retaliated by attacking the settlement and burning down houses in Miga and Jahun Local Government Areas.

He continued: “Unfortunately, nine dead bodies were recovered, and the corpses were ferried to Jahun and Miga hospitals, where the medical doctor on duty confirmed their deaths.”

Authorities have launched an investigation to identify and prosecute those responsible for the violence.