The Niger State Government has imposed a curfew on some communities in Rafi Local Government Area following fresh communal clashes that have left several people dead and properties destroyed.
Governor Umaru Bago announced the measure during a visit to communities affected by the violence in Tashar Bako, where tensions flared between members of the Kamuku and Fulani communities. The state government said the curfew is part of urgent steps to restore calm and stop the crisis from spreading further.
During the visit, the governor, who was represented by his deputy, Yakubu Garba, directed security agencies to fully deploy all available personnel and operational resources across the troubled communities. He said both forceful and peaceful approaches should be adopted to contain the violence and stabilise the area.
Reports gathered that the conflict was triggered by a dispute over farmland and has so far claimed about 80 lives. Preliminary findings by the state government also pointed to a farming disagreement as the root of the crisis, which later spiralled into deadly violence.
After inspecting the affected communities and identifying key flashpoints, the governor directed the Emir of Kagara, Alhaji Ahmad Garba Gunna, to set up a Peace and Reconciliation Committee. The committee is expected to open dialogue between the affected groups, rebuild trust and help secure lasting peace in the area.
Bago also appealed to social media users and online influencers to avoid spreading unverified or inflammatory information that could worsen the already tense situation. He assured residents that the government would take concrete steps to prevent a repeat of the violence and urged both sides to choose peace over further confrontation.
According to him, the Kamuku and Fulani communities have coexisted peacefully for many years and should not allow the actions of a few individuals to destroy a long standing relationship built over generations.
The Emir of Kagara commended the state government and security agencies for their swift response to the unrest and called on residents to remain calm and cooperate fully with security operatives working to restore order. He also warned politicians against trying to turn the incident into a political issue.
Garba Gunna stressed that the crisis should not be viewed as a wider ethnic conflict between the Kamuku and Fulani, but rather as a local dispute that escalated beyond control. He sympathised with victims of the violence and urged security agencies to ensure that those behind the killings and destruction are identified, arrested and made to face the law.
As part of the visit, the deputy governor met with displaced victims from both communities. Kamuku victims were being sheltered at Tegina Primary School, while displaced Fulani residents were taking refuge at Gimi Primary School.
