By Correspondent in Minna.
Two persons have been killed and several houses razed when crisis erupted between Kambari and their Fulani neighbours over land dispute in Salka village, Magama Local Government Area of Niger state.
Our Correspondent reports that the crisis occurred Mondayy night when after heated argument as the two communities lay claim to ownership of piece of land, said to have served both parties as farm land for many years.
Eyewitness account said the age long dispute which led to setting ablaze of the Police station in the locality, the palace of the District Head also led to the destruction of about 30 huts.
Our Correspondent gathered that the Fulani herders had bought the piece of land many years ago from the leaders of the Kambaris, a development that did not go down well with the siblings of Kambaris after the demise of those that contracted the deal.
The siblings were said to have insisted that the deal be cancelled, adding that whatever money paid for the land be refunded to the Fulanis while the fulanis were said to have stock to their gun lthat the deal must not be reverted, hence the clash.
The online publication also learnt that trouble started when heated argument broke out leading to free for all between the two sides when they visited the said land for settlement.
The Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Alhaji Ahmed Ibrahim Matane, when contacted, confirmed the bloody clash.
Matane, however, told journalists that normalcy had been restored among the warring communities, adding that a team of security agencies had been deployed to the affected area to broker peace between the warring parties.
The Commissioner for Internal Security and Humanitarian Services, Mr. Emmanuel Umar, who also confirmed the hostility, said the state government was on top of the situation to ensure the return of peace to the area.
Meanwhile,the Governor of Niger State, Alhaji Abubakar Sani Bello,has tasked the Joint Security Taskforce in the state to urgently bring to an end, incessant attacks and abduction of innocent citizens by armed bandits in communities in Gulu, Lapai Local Government Area of the state.
The Governor’s directive is coming against the backdrop of an attack in the early hours of Tuesday at Gulu General Hospital,Lapai Local Government, leading to the deaths of a yet to be indentified number of persons and abduction of about 20 others, including some health workers.
Governor Bello in a statement signed by his Chief Press Secretary, Mary Noel-Berje, described the most recent attacks and killing of some persons as well as abducted unspecified number of people including Medical Personnel as callous, inhuman and condemnable.
Our correspondent,however,learnt that armed bandits have invaded two communities; Fapo and Nasarawa communities, a partially populated community which is less than an hour’s drive from Lapai, the headquarters of the local government, twice,respectively in less than two months unchallenged.
The armed men who were said to have also carted away valuables, including foodstuff on a particular market day, according to report, had during their last attack informed the people of their next attack on the hospital.
Among the abductees during the attacks said to have lasted for close to two hours, include patients and their relatives while the list of abducted staff include Head of Clinical Operations and his wife, Head of Operations and his wife.
Others are; Head of Haematology and the Head of Medical laboratory, the wife of Head of Nursing and Nursing services and as well their two daughters, and the wife and daughter of the Chief Pharmacist.
Edited by Dada Ahmed.
