Eight people have been killed in a violent clash between farmers and herders in Gulma town, Argungu Local Government Area of Kebbi State, following a dispute that escalated into a deadly reprisal attack.
Sources in the area said the violence erupted after a farmer was allegedly stabbed to death by a herder while working on his farmland on Monday.
The incident reportedly sparked outrage among members of the farming community, leading to a retaliatory attack on nearby Fulani settlements. The reprisal left eight people dead and several others injured, raising concerns over renewed farmer-herder tensions in the area.
Confirming the incident, the Kebbi State Police Command said security personnel had been deployed to contain the situation and prevent further violence.
The Police Public Relations Officer, SP Bashir Usman, said the clash occurred at about 3 p.m. on Monday and was linked to the earlier killing of a farmer.
“The incident was a reprisal following the stabbing of a farmer by a herder. We are currently in control of the situation, and eight people lost their lives,” Usman said.
According to the police spokesman, four injured persons were rescued by security operatives and taken to a medical facility, where they received treatment and were later discharged.
He said normalcy had been restored in Gulma following the intervention of security agencies, adding that personnel had been strategically deployed to maintain peace and forestall any further breakdown of law and order.
Usman appealed to residents to remain calm and avoid taking the law into their own hands, stressing the need for aggrieved persons to seek redress through lawful channels.
He also assured that investigations were ongoing and that anyone found culpable in connection with the violence would be brought to justice.
The latest incident underscores the persistent challenge of farmer-herder conflicts in parts of northern Nigeria, where disputes over land use, grazing routes and access to resources have frequently degenerated into violence.
