Four injured as Adamawa communities clash
Four people sustained ‘serious’ injuries following a clash between two communities in Yola South Local Government of Adamawa State.
It was learnt on Tuesday that a house was also burnt down in the course of the clash that resulted from a land dispute.
The crisis occurred between the people of Njoboli and those of a nearby Njoboliyo, and a source said two residents of Njoboli were injured while one house was razed down following the attack that happened Sunday night.
The source accused the people of Njoboliyo for launching the attack over a lingering land dispute between the two communities, saying, “The people stormed our community and immediately razed down a house while injuring two members of a family. The people of Njoboli quickly mobilized forces and countered the attackers.
“Police later came to patrol the area but after a little while, they departed, leaving us amid anxiety and fear of another night attack. We remained awake and vigilant all night for the fear of night raid. The attackers came back Monday morning, but we sturdily guarded our neighbourhood.”
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The Adamawa State Government has however appealed for calm, stressing that the crisis was neither ethnic nor religious but a misunderstanding between two otherwise friendly neighbours which went out of control but which has now been curtailed.
Addressing newsmen at the Government House over the matter on Tuesday, the state Director General in charge of Media and Communications, Solomon Kumanga, said, “What happened was a boundary dispute between the people of Njoboli and those of Njoboliyo in Yola South. These are people who have lived harmoniously for ages. They are neighbours who inter-marry. It was just a little misunderstanding that went awry.
“Four people, two from each community, sustained serious but not life-threatening injuries and they are receiving treatment in various hospitals within the state capital.”
He urged modesty and truthfulness among those writing or commenting on the incident to prevent misrepresentation of facts. He said, “The crisis has no religious colouration. It is not a clash between Fulani and the local community. It is just a misunderstanding between people who have long co-existed peacefully. We should not even appropriate faults in this matter.”
