No fewer than four persons were reportedly killed in Lafiya, Lamurde local government of Adamawa state following a violent communal clash between Lunguda and Hausa communities.
According to reports the conflict emanated from misunderstanding over farmlands.
In a phone chat with our reporter, the chairman of Lamurde local government, Bulus Daniel confirmed that four people have been killed in the violent confrontation which started on Monday morning.
“Right now I’m not in town but I’m on my way back to the town. I want you to disregard fake news emanating from the area as even security personnel are not in the full picture of the situation.
“I can confirm to you that approximately four people have been killed but we do not have the full statistics of the casualties as at now,” he said.
But a resident of the area who do not want his name in print confided in our reporter that Monday’s violence emanated as a result of pent up anger following ceaseless attacks on innocent residents.
“Sometimes back our people came under heavy attack when they visited their farms as some of them were inflicted with matchete cuts. We told the authorities but nothing was done.
“The same thing happened today while our people were in the farm, some Lunguda people attacked them and killed one man called Sani while two others were killed in the outskirt of the town leading to the escalation of the conflict.
“Lunguda people have been coming to Dan Isa to threaten us to vacate the land claiming that its their ancestral land and we have paid dues on the same piece of land. All our complaints for redress fell into deaf ears,” he said.
Also speaking on the issue Adamawa State police command confirmed the incident but said the presence of security operatives has calmed frayed nerves.
Speaking in a phone chat with our reporter, the image maker of the command SP Sulaiman Nguroje said mass deployment of mobile police to the trouble area has been effected.
“The DPO of the area has sent a report to the effect that there was a communal conflict. The commissioner of police immediately sent a team of mobile policemen to the area and I can assure you that the violence has been nipped in the bud,” he said.
He noted that as at the time of filing this report, the police has not compiled the statistics of casualties.
