Tension is brewing as residents of Pandagi Community in Abaji Area Council of the FCT have fled their homes following rumours of a reprisal attack by Fulani herdsmen on the community.
Sponsored Ads
A resident of the community, Aliyu Saidu, said the incident happened on Tuesday after some suspected Fulani herdsmen approached a Gbagyi man on his farm at neighbouring Ebagi Village. Saidu said the herdsmen asked the farmer his ethnicity and he told them he was Gbagyi.
Sponsored Ads
“They claimed they were hunting for a Ganagana native of Pandagi Community, he said. He said the Gbagyi farmer ran home and alerted the Chief of Ebagi who in turn reached out to the Chief of Pandagi about his encounter with the herdsmen.
LIST OF APPLICATIONS FOR REGULARISATION OF AREA COUNCIL LAND DOCUMENTS NULLIFIED/CANCELLED BY THE HONOURABLE MINISTER OF FCT
He said when residents of the community got wind of the matter, some of the villagers started fleeing their homes to neighbouring Agyana Village for safety.
Saidu further said even when the matter was reported to the chief of the community, it was not taken seriously, saying until another farmer at Agyana Village ran back home on Wednesday after he had an encounter with the herdsmen who asked him a similar question about what tribe he was.
RELATED STORIES
Related Posts
He said it was in the process that the matter was also reported to the Chief of Agyana who he said also alerted the Chief of Pandagi, saying the situation became tensed as mostly women and children started fleeing their homes.
He said the DPO of Abaji, who was alerted, mobilised his men and vigilante members to the community to comb bushes in the area.
Reacting, the FCT Police Commissioner, Bala Ciroma, who spoke with our reporter via telephone, confirmed the incident, saying he and the area commander mobilised men and officers to keep watch over the community.
“In fact, I and the area commander spent a night along side our men at the community and the situation has been put under control, while we are appealing to the public to always help us with useful information,” he said.
Read more:
