The Jigawa State Command of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) has confirmed the killing of two farmers and the burning of Yelwan Musari village in Guri Local Government Area following a violent attack by suspected herders.

Confirming the incident to Tribune Online, the Public Relations Officer of the Corps, SP Badaruddeen, said the conflict began after herders allegedly encroached on farmlands and destroyed crops.

According to him, when villagers went to inspect the damaged farmland on Sunday morning, they were ambushed by herders who had hidden within the area.

“The herders suddenly opened fire with bows and arrows, killing one Magaji Dan’aya on the spot and injuring his younger brother,” Badaruddeen explained.

He further revealed that the farmers regrouped and attempted to confront the attackers, sparking a second round of violence.

“The herders also reinforced, moved their cattle several kilometres away and launched another attack. They killed another farmer and forced the villagers to retreat,” he said.

SP Badaruddeen added that the fleeing farmers abandoned one of the corpses in the bush, while the herders pursued them back to the community, surrounded the settlement and set it ablaze.

He noted that although a team from Operation Salama, comprising police and military personnel, arrived at the scene, the second corpse remained in the bush until NSCDC operatives later recovered it amid fears that the attackers were still hiding nearby.

“As I speak, the body is in the house of the village head, awaiting burial. Our personnel are on ground monitoring the situation. Many villagers have already fled in fear of a fresh attack,” he said, adding that the Guri LGA Chairman and security agencies were in a meeting with both sides.

Eyewitnesses told Tribune Online that the attack, which started late Saturday and continued into Sunday morning, escalated months of tension between farmers and herders in the area.

A resident, Murtala Imamu, said the community had remained on edge after herders reportedly boycotted local markets.

He confirmed that armed herders stormed the village, setting houses and rice-milling centres ablaze.

Imamu linked the renewed hostility to last year’s killing of a farmer, Ya’u Namara, allegedly by herders.

Another resident, Ado Musa, corroborated the account, adding that the attackers blocked the Guri–Hadejia highway, preventing injured villagers from accessing medical care in Hadejia.

“Police and soldiers arrived late. They could not stop the escalation because both sides had been clashing since the afternoon,” he said.

It was unclear at press time whether the herders suffered casualties. Calls to Adamu Ori, a leader among the herders, went unanswered.

When contacted, the Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Lawan Shi’isu Adam, said he was unaware of the incident.

“I’m currently in Abuja on official assignment. I will find out,” he told Online Tribune.

Saturday’s attack occurred barely days after another confrontation in Zarga village, Taura LGA, where 12 farmers sustained injuries.

Guri and other communities in Jigawa North-East Senatorial District sit atop vast farmlands and grazing routes, a geography that has historically triggered clashes between farmers and herders.

Across Jigawa, the farmer–herder conflict remains entrenched in ecological pressures, dwindling resources and long-standing grievances between both communities. (Nigerian Tribune)

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