Farmer killed, settlement razed as crisis breaks out in Kwara

One person was killed and another injured in a communal clash in Eshijiko, Pada district of Pategi Local Government Area of Kwara State.

Daily Trust gathered that the incident which occurred on Sunday left many residents displaced as they fled the community for fear of a possible reprisal attack.

A source who spoke on the issue attributed the cause of the incident to an altercation between a farmer, Usman Baba, and some herders.

“The issue was between a farmer, Usman Baba who met some herders in his farm at night and instructed them to leave. The situation degenerated to some arguments, leading to the killing of one,” the source added.

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A security source told our correspondent that the Fulani settlement (RUGA) was “burnt  to ashes by the villagers in a suspected revenge mission over the killing of the farmer”.

The Sarkin Fulani of Ilorin East, Alhaji Idris Ali, said over 1,000 Fulani have been displaced.

“Our position after the report of the killing of the farmer was for security agencies to be allowed to do their job and bring whoever is found culpable to book. We were surprised with the latest development of taking laws into their hands”, he said.

On his part, one of the Fulani leaders in Kwara, Alhaji Jao Yahaya, said about 500 houses were destroyed with over several hundreds of people displaced.

“Ten classrooms blocks of nomadic school for our children, maize, guinea corn, yam, rice, cassava, motorcycles and several cows worth over N50m were lost to the incident,” he noted.

According to him, the affected settlement had been in existence for more than 47 years and has been living peacefully with the people of their host communities without any fracas.

He called on the state government and the security agencies to urgently come to their aid as they are now suffering from homelessness and insecurity in the Area.

When contacted, the lawmaker representing Patigi constituency at the state assembly, Hon Adam Rufai, “I can’t speak on that incident now because I am a Fidau for the late House leader, Hon Magaji Olawoyin.

However, the spokesman of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defense Corps (NSCDC), in Kwara State, Olasunkanmi Ayeni, confirmed the incident.

“After the death of the farmer,  The Fulani settlement was completely razed with several cows, foodstuffs and properties destroyed in the process.

“We cannot ascertain the number of the persons so far displaced and have made no arrest because the Fulanis have run away. But we are still monitoring the situation to ensure calm and the issue is not escalated,” Ayeni said.