One person has died and several houses have been burnt following a clash between farmers and herders in Guda Village, Ningi Local Government Area of Bauchi State, with police arresting four suspects in connection with the violence.
The Bauchi State Police Command said the incident occurred on September 23, 2026, after three farmers reportedly discovered cattle belonging to a herder grazing on and destroying crops on their farmland at Guda Hill.
The Police Public Relations Officer, SP Nafiu Habib, disclosed the development in a statement on Friday, October 9, 2026, saying the confrontation escalated after the farmers followed the cattle to the herders’ settlement.
According to the police, an argument broke out and degenerated into a fight, leaving the three farmers injured.
Habib said some youths from Guda Village subsequently mobilised in retaliation and set fire to houses in the herders’ settlement.
The injured farmers were evacuated to General Hospital, Ningi, for medical treatment by police operatives who responded to the incident and restored order.
However, one of the injured farmers, identified as 40-year-old Usman Jibrin, later died while receiving treatment.
Four suspects arrested
The police said four suspects were arrested on October 8 following intelligence-led operations.
They are being investigated over alleged criminal conspiracy, causing grievous hurt, mischief by fire and culpable homicide.
The Commissioner of Police in Bauchi State, Sani-Omolori Aliyu, has directed that the suspects be transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department for a thorough investigation.
The police said the commissioner expressed condolences to the deceased’s family and sympathised with residents whose properties were destroyed during the violence.
Aliyu also warned against taking the law into one’s hands, assuring residents that the police would pursue justice and urging farming and herding communities to embrace dialogue and peaceful coexistence.
Calls for peaceful coexistence
The incident highlights the persistent tensions that can arise between farming and herding communities over crop destruction, livestock grazing and access to farmland.
Such disputes can escalate into violence when disagreements are not resolved through peaceful and lawful means, resulting in deaths, injuries, property destruction and strained relations between communities.
The police have urged residents to avoid retaliatory attacks and cooperate with investigators as inquiries into the incident continue.
The four suspects remain subject to investigation, and their arrest does not establish guilt. The circumstances surrounding the clash and the extent of the property damage are expected to be examined as the investigation progresses.