The police have vowed to strictly enforce a curfew imposed by the Adamawa State Government on Friday after at least 10 people were reported killed in a communal clash involving two ethnic communities.
The fight over farmland occurred from 5 to 7 July between the Tsobo people of Waduku and the Bachama of Rugange in the Lamurde Local Government Area.
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Sources in the area told PREMIUM TIMES that over 20 people were also injured and hundreds of houses were set ablaze between the said date.
The land dispute has lingered despite a court ordering the feuding parties not to use the land.
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Following the deadly clashes, the Adamawa State Government on Friday imposed a 24-hour curfew in the affected communities to restore order.
What happened?
The misunderstanding between the two communities started some years ago when the minority Tsobo people allegedly started protesting alleged marginalisation regarding opportunities by the Lamurde Local Government authorities.
However, the recent conflagration followed a dispute over farmlands between the two communities.
This occurred despite a court restraining the usage of the land until it delivered a judgement in the matter.
The Tsobo alleged that the Bachama people of Rugange launched the first attack around 2 p.m. on Sunday, 5 July, by chasing away farmers from the disputed farmlands.
“Some youth from the Bachama community of Waduku launched a brutal attack on Tsobo (Pire) youth, including their youth leader, while they were working in their farmlands. The attackers chased them away, inflicted injuries on several youths, and burned down motorcycles, tricycles, and a farm grazing machine belonging to the Tsobo people,” Jude B. Jerry wrote on Facebook.
The Tsobo people allegedly retaliated two days later, invading Rugange communities of the Bachama people.
Edmond Mosoti, a resident of one of the communities and president of the youth association, told PREMIUM TIMES that 10 people were killed in the Monday attack, and over 20 people were injured, and hundreds of houses were burnt.
“A minor misunderstanding has tragically escalated into an organised and violent attack. Armed individuals invaded the communities, resulting in the loss of over 10 lives, the injury of more than 20 persons, and the displacement of hundreds of community members,” Mr Mosoti further said in a statement.
Other sources in the community put the number of houses destroyed at 233 (170 houses partially destroyed, 53 completely razed).
According to Mr Mosoti, this is not the first time the communities fought.. In 2008, a similar attack happened.
Apart from the land dispute, the Tsobo people wanted a chiefdom separate from the Bachama people.
“This incident is not merely about land. The attacks’ scale, coordination, and intensity raise concerns about a larger underlying agenda that must not be overlooked. This crisis reflects deeper systemic issues, including longstanding neglect and leadership failures,” Mr Mosoti’s statement read.
Adamawa government speaks
On Friday, the Adamawa State Government imposed a 24-hour curfew on the area.
According to Humwashi Wonosikou, the government’s spokesperson, the government views the disturbances as unacceptable and has directed the security agencies to enforce the curfew strictly.
He said the curfew would remain in place until further notice and warned that anyone or group found contravening the directive would be dealt with according to the law.
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Police speak on attack
While speaking about the incident on Saturday, the police condemned the attack and assured the implementation of the 24-hour curfew introduced by Governor Ahmadu Fintiri.
The police said more operational assets had been deployed to enforce the curfew.
“The Command will not allow hoodlums and misguided elements to operate unchallenged, despite security agents operating in such a way as not to use force to create a scenario that will lead to loss of life while enforcing the curfew,” Sulaiman Yahaya, the Police Public Relations Officer in Adamawa, said in a statement on Saturday.
