48 killed in farmers, herders clash in Niger State

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At least 48 villagers have been killed in a clash between the Fulani and Kamuku ethnic groups in Tegina, a town in the Rafi Local Government Area of Niger State.

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Residents told PREMIUM TIMES that the violence erupted early Wednesday morning when machete-wielding herders invaded a Kamuku community, killing 42 people, mostly women, children, and the elderly.

Residents shared graphic images of the scene with our reporter, showing victims who had been hacked to death or burned.

Ibrahim Musa, a resident, stated that numerous people from the outskirts of Tegina, where such attacks are frequent, are currently fleeing to the town centre for safety.

Mr Musa added that in a subsequent retaliatory attack, members of the Kamuku group killed about six herders working on a nearby plantation.

Many of the initial victims belonged to an extended family from the Kamuku tribe.

The attackers also burnt houses, silos, and vehicles belonging to the family.

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The police spokesperson in Niger State, Wasiu Abiodun, confirmed the incident. He stated that the police were compiling the casualty figures and promised to provide updates as soon as they become available.

Roots of the conflict

Clashes between the two groups initially began in May, following a monetary donation made by Sani Musa, the senator representing the Niger East District.

The money was intended for the community and was distributed through a Fulani leader, Muhammed Shehu.

However, Mr Shehu was later found dead, and his remains were discovered near an office used by a local vigilante group dominated by the Kamuku people.

The herders accused the vigilantes of murdering Mr Shehu over the money, and reportedly attacked individuals of Kamuku extraction on sight.

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Herders also invaded a local market, attacking vigilantes and disrupting trade. PREMIUM TIMES reported in May that eight bodies from both sides were buried following that initial outbreak of violence.

Fulani and Kamuku in Tegina

Tegina town is at the epicentre of the security crisis in the Nigerian North-central zone.

The area is targeted by bandits for mass abductions and raids.

In May 2021, 136 children were abducted at the Salihu Tanko Islamiyya School in Tegina. Three months earlier, 27 students were abducted at Government Science College in nearby Kagara.

However, cattle herders and crop farmers in Tegina used to enjoy a cordial relationship as the Fulani and the Kamuku operated a mutually beneficial system.

But since May, tit-for-tat attacks between the two groups have severely disrupted this relationship.