At least 12 people were injured on Tuesday in a violent clash between farmers and herders in Zarga village, Taura Local Government Area, Jigawa State.
The confrontation was reportedly sparked by a dispute over farm encroachment that quickly escalated into a fight involving bows and arrows.
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The Taura Local Government Chairman, Shuaibu Hambal, confirmed the incident to PREMIUM TIMES, stating that it began after herders encroached upon a farm.
He said the situation turned violent when the herders allegedly shot a teenage farmer who attempted to resist the trespass.
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“The crisis aggravated when farmers from the Zarga village mobilised to the scene of the incident to rescue the injured victim and identify the group of herders, but it escalated into a violent confrontation,” Mr Hambali said.
“Upon their arrival, the herders used bows and arrows and attacked them, resulting in injuries to at least 12 farmers from Zarga village.
“The injured are currently receiving medical treatment at various hospitals, depending on the severity of their wounds”, Mr Hambali said.
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The police subsequently arrived at the scene and arrested one person from the herders’ community, the council chairperson added.
The police spokesperson in the state, Lawan Adam, could not be immediately reached for comment.
The latest confrontation in Taura LGA followed a similar clash on Saturday, where six people were injured in the Birnin Kudu Local Government Area of the state.
The dynamics of the farmers-herders conflict in Jigawa State are complex, rooted in ecological, socio-economic, and historical factors.
READ ALSO: Kwara intensifies security push with training of 2,600 new forest guards
In Jigawa State, the major drivers of this unrest are climate change, desertification and encroachment of grazing areas. These environmental pressures are forcing pastoralist herders to migrate to places in search of viable grazing land and water sources.
Their movement inevitably leads to friction, as herds often traverse and consume crops in established traditional farming and grazing areas, resulting in recurrent, often deadly clashes.
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