Sophia Michaels
Two persons have been killed while seven others sustained varying injuries during a clash between Fulani and vigilantes at Beji weekly market in Bosso Local Government Area of Niger State.
Residents said the incident happened around 5pm on Wednesday, November 8, 2023, when the market was full to its capacity.
Beji, an agrarian community with a national livestock and grains’ market is about 30km from Minna, the Niger State capital.
The injured persons are currently receiving treatment at the Primary Healthcare Centre, Beji.
The Assistant Head of Medical Services, Beji Primary Healthcare Centre, Aliyu Yusuf, confirmed the incident to Daily Trust said that nine victims were brought to the hospital with various degrees of bullet wounds.
He said that two were confirmed dead while the remaining seven victims, all Fulani, were responding to treatment.
The Niger State Commissioner for Nomadic and Pastoral Affairs, Alhaji Umar Ahmed Rebe also confirmed the incident and warned against any form of revenge, saying that the state government would sit with all stakeholders towards finding a lasting solution to the rift between Fulani and Gbagyi farmers.
He also warned both parties to desist from taking laws into their hands, saying that there are various mechanisms of dispute resolution without resorting to violence.
The Vice President, Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria, Zone B, Abdullahi Mu’azu said the clash disrupted the activities in the market on Wednesday, calling on the authorities to intervene to ensure that the incident does not repeat itself.
