A violent clash between Fulani and Gwari residents in Gurfata village, Gwagwalada Area Council of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), has left one person dead and at least 31 houses destroyed.
Security analyst and counter-insurgency expert, Zagazola Makama, reported that the confrontation broke out on Tuesday following a disagreement between Shaibu Adamu, a Fulani man, and Sa’adu, a Gwari farmer, over access to a footpath on farmland.
Quoting community sources, Makama said the incident occurred around 10:30 a.m. when Adamu attempted to pass through Sa’adu’s farmland, without cattle, but was stopped and asked to use an alternative route.
The dispute quickly escalated into a physical fight, leaving both men with minor injuries.
“The incident quickly reignited ethnic tensions in the village, with both communities mobilising in solidarity with the parties involved,” Makama said.
The situation deteriorated when Adamu Ibrahim, elder brother to Shaibu, allegedly attacked a Gwari resident, Dahiru Yakubu, with a machete.
Yakubu was rushed to the University of Abuja Teaching Hospital, where he later died from his injuries.
His death triggered a reprisal by irate Gwari youths, who reportedly attacked the Fulani settlement in Gurfata, burning down 31 houses and injuring at least three people.
Makama said troops of the Nigerian Army, alongside other security personnel, were later deployed to restore calm and prevent further bloodshed.
“Authorities have appealed for peace and urged both communities to exercise restraint. Meanwhile, efforts are ongoing to mediate between the groups and prevent further escalation,” he added.
As of Wednesday, normalcy had returned to the village, although tensions remain high.
