At least four people have been confirmed killed in reprisal attacks between Fulani and Bachama communities in Adamawa State. Several properties were also destroyed in the violence in Numan Local Government Area.
Reports from the area revealed that suspected Fulani herdsmen invaded the village (Kikon) in the early hours of Sunday shooting sporadically while most villagers were asleep.
“The situation threw everybody into pandemonium forcing all to run into the bushes for safety,” said a fleeing local, Ngurigon Yohanna.
But irked by the development, the Bachama militia mobilised Sunday afternoon and launched counter-attacks on Dowayan-waja and Lure villages burning everything in sight. The number of deaths from this could not be independently ascertained.
Also, confirming the attacks to the media, chairman of Numan Local Government, Arnold Jibila, said the number of deaths could not be ascertained yet.
Another source, who pleaded anonymity for safety reasons, said that many of the villagers have taken refuge in the nearby bushes.
He explained that the herdsmen stormed the village on more than 20 motorcycles to launch the surprise attack.
The source added that,at least three persons have been confirmed dead while a number of the wounded have been evacuated to the Numan General Hospital. He gave an insight into the latest attack.
“After the first reprisal attack on the Bachama people where eight villages were razed down while over sixty villagers were killed, they (Bachama) attacked some Fulanis in Kikon. This is the reason behind this very attack,” he said.
Speaking on the seperate attacks in Numan, the Police Public Relations Officer in the state, Othman Abubakar, said police area commander in charge of the area has confirmed that two males and two females were killed.
Mr. Abubakar also said villagers injured in the attacks were taken to Numan General Hospital for treatment. He said many houses and property were destroyed in Kikon and Dowaya -waja villages.
He said two units of anti-riot mobile police officers have since been redeployed to ensure normalcy in the area. He pledged that the assailants would be apprehended.
