By PAULINE PODKA
Unspecified number of people have been reportedly killed in Barkuta community of Beji district in Bosso local government area of Niger State, following a bloody clash between the native Gbagy and herdsmen in the area.
The clash which occurred on Tuesday morning, also saw several people from the both side seriously injured, and houses were torched.
Although details of the clash was not known as at the time of filing this report, trouble was said to have started when the herdsmen allegedly killed a prominent farmer in the community.
It was gathered that the farmer, who was simply identified as Alhaji had earlier protested to the herders’ abode on Monday evening over the invasion of farmlands by cattle.
It was further gathered that the Alhaji could not return from his mission to the herdsmen abode, leading to a search for him by the community on Tuesday morning.
He lifeless body was eventually discovered in the bush.
This development angered the community who mobilized and stormed the herdsmen enclaves and in the resultant confrontation, several people were reportedly killed and many others injured.
At the moment, there is culpable fear and anxiety in the community and its environs, as the residents have started to flee in their numbers for fear of reprisal attacks.
There is no statement from either the government or the police command over this development as at the time of this report.
However, a prominent political leader from the area who did not want his name in print, confirmed the incident to Pentoks News.
This latest bloody clash is coming barely eight years after a similar incident claimed the lives of over 50 people, houses and food barms belonging to the natives were burnt.
Also, 11 soldiers and a number of the villagers were killed in mysterious circumstances that remains unknown till date.
The immediate past governor of the state Alhaji Abubakar Sani set up a judicial commission of inquiry to look into the remote causes of the incident.
But, the report could not be made public until the end of his administration.