Nigeria in Shock: 21 Villagers Dead After Herdsmen Attack
In Kano, Nigeria, residents reported that gunmen have tragically killed at least 21 villagers in the state of Kogi. The incident, which occurred on Friday, is the latest in a series of clashes between herders and farmers in Africa’s most populous nation, driven by increasing competition for land resources.
Edibo Ameh Mark, chairman of the Omala local government area in Kogi, confirmed that approximately 21 people were laid to rest early Friday morning as a result of the violence. According to Mark, the attack was purportedly a retaliatory act by Fulani herders following the killing of six villagers, two of whom were reportedly beheaded, three days prior.
The conflict between farmers and pastoralists has escalated in recent years due to population growth, which has led to an expansion of agricultural land at the expense of grazing areas for nomadic herds. Elias Atabo, a resident of the affected area, expressed shock at the tragedy, stating that the attack lasted less than an hour.
Eyewitness Atabor Julius recounted that up to 100 herdsmen descended on the village on Thursday, firing weapons indiscriminately. Nineteen bodies were recovered immediately after the attack, with an additional 15 discovered the following morning. Most of the victims were reportedly elderly individuals who were unable to flee from the assailants.
Despite requests for comment, a police spokesperson did not provide any information regarding the incident. Kogi, located in Nigeria’s Middle Belt region, serves as a convergence point between the predominantly Muslim North and the largely Christian South. Land use disputes in the Middle Belt are exacerbated by overlapping ethnic and religious divisions.
Analysts attribute the escalation of conflicts between farmers and herders to various factors, including the Boko Haram insurgency in the northeast, which has displaced herders into the Middle Belt and southern regions. Additionally, climate change and increasing aridity in the North further compound the challenges faced by communities reliant on agriculture and livestock herding.
