Many feared dead in fresh Jigawa communal clash

A communal clash has again erupted in Jigawa State, leaving a trail of death and destruction of property.

The incident occurred on Thursday night at Gidan Nagari community of Jahun Local Government.

A similar incident occurred at Gululu village, Miga Local Government Area of the state last week, resulting in the death of nine people, while four others sustained injuries in the violent clash between villagers and Fulani settlers.

Eyewitnesses described the Thursday incident as chaotic, saying that many lives were lost while some houses were set ablaze.

“We were awoken by the sound of gunfire and screams. People were fleeing for their lives, and houses were being set on fire,” recounted an eyewitness, speaking on condition of anonymity.

According to reports, no fewer than 10 people, including nine males and a female, were killed in the communal clash.

It was gathered some of the deceased died at Jahun General Hospital, were they were rushed to.

Saturday PUNCH gathered that some of the victims were burnt to death.

A resident of the area, Muhammad Kani, in an interview with our correspondent, asked the government to investigate the root cause of the clash.

“This latest incident has raised concerns about the escalating violence between the two communities. We are calling on the government to take urgent action to address the root causes of this conflict,” said Kani.

He urged the Jigawa State Government to take decisive action to prevent further bloodshed and ensure that those responsible for the violence were brought to justice.

Efforts to reach the police for confirmation and details about the incident proved abortive, as several calls put across to the spokesperson of the command were not answered.

However, sources close to the police confirmed that a team of officers had been deployed to restore peace and order in the area.

Meanwhile, despite the devastating impact of the communal clash, the state government has also maintained a deafening silence on the matter.

As of the time of filing this report, no official statement has been issued by the government on the matter.