Communal Clash In Gwagwalada Leaves One Dead, 31 Houses Burnt

A violent clash between Fulani and Gwari residents in Gurfata village, Gwagwalada Area Council of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), has left one person dead, several injured, and many villagers homeless after 31 houses were set ablaze.

The incident, which occurred on Tuesday, reportedly stemmed from a dispute over access to a farmland path between a Fulani man, Shaibu Adamu, and a Gwari farmer, Sa’adu.

Security analyst Zagazola Makama posted details of the clash on X (formerly Twitter) on Wednesday.

According to him, the conflict began when Adamu attempted to pass through Sa’adu’s farmland. When the farmer refused, insisting he take an alternative route, the disagreement escalated into a physical altercation.

“Things quickly got worse when Shaibu’s elder brother, Adamu Ibrahim, allegedly attacked a Gwari resident, Dahiru Yakubu, with a machete.

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“Yakubu was rushed to the University of Abuja Teaching Hospital, where he later died,” Makama stated.

He stated that the news of Yakubu’s death sparked a reprisal attack by enraged Gwari youths, who stormed the Fulani settlement in the village, burning down 31 houses and injuring at least three people.

Authorities later deployed soldiers and other security personnel to the area to quell the violence and restore order.

“Authorities have appealed for peace and urged both communities to exercise restraint. Meanwhile, efforts are ongoing to mediate between the groups and prevent further escalation.

“As of Wednesday, normalcy had returned to the village, though tensions remain high,” he stated.

At the time of filing this report, all efforts made to get reactions from the Gwagwalada area council authority proved abortive, as the council chairman could not be reached.

When the Nigeria Police Force was contacted to react to this development, the police kept mum.

Messages sent to the FCT police spokesperson, SP Josephine Adeh and even on the media platform of the FCT were not answered as at press time.