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From Olanrewaju Lawal Birnin Kebbi
About three people have been reportedly killed while many were injured and houses destroyed during clashes between farmers and herders in Suru Local Government Area of Kebbi State.
The incidents were said to have erupted at two villages in Suru; Kankure and Tunga Rimi, while in Besse, where properties and houses were destroyed, the affected villages are Tunga mai Rakumi, Runhewan Dulmeru, Sabuwan Kendawa and Limarein.
The state governor, Dr. Nasir Idris, who promptly visited the scene, was said to have identified dialogue as a veritable tool for resolving the lingering farmers/herders clashes in the country.
His Chief Press Secretary, Ahmed Idris, in a statement made available to journalists in Birnin Kebbi said the governor stated this when he paid a condolence visit to the people of Suru and Koko/Besse local government areas of the state, over a clash between Fulani herdsmen and farmers.
He said: “The visit is to streamline the issue and kickstart the settlement process towards restoring peace and stability in the two areas.”
Ahmed disclosed that the governor donated N4 million to the two deceased persons and donated N5 million to the remaining eight victims who sustained injuries in Suru.
He also revealed that at Besse, where two people were missing and one person killed, the governor donated N2 million to the deceased family, while N2 million was donated to the remaining people who sustained injuries during the crisis in the two areas.
“While describing the rift between Fulani and farmers as an unfortunate act, the governor also promised to bring an end to the crisis in the area through a round table dialogue involving security agencies and other relevant stakeholders”.
He added that the governor, however, set-up a reconciliation committee to be headed by the state Commissioner of Police, Head, Department of Security Service (DSS), Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), District Heads, members of the state House of Assembly and other relevant stakeholders in the area.
In separate remarks, the District Head of Suru, Mohammed Bello-Jaguwadeji, and District Head of Dustemari, Alhaji Mohammed Malebi, were said to have thanked the governor for the sympathy visit, while attributing the crisis to a devilish act.
While narrating the scenario to the governor, the Suru Local Government Council Chairman, Mohammed Lawal, was quoted to have said that the crisis started last Saturday morning, when the farmers visited their farmlands and met Fulani at the scene.
The chairman further explained that the farmers enquired from the Fulani whether they were the ones destroying their crops. He further pointed out that during the crisis, two people were confirmed dead, while eight people who sustained varying degrees of injuries were responding to treatment in the hospital.
The two affected villages in suru are; Kankure and Tunga Rimi, while in Besse, where properties and houses were destroyed the affected villages are Tunga mai Rakumi, Runhewan Dulmeru, Sabuwan Kendawa and Limarein.
The governor directed the chairman, State Emergency Management Agency, Bello Rilisco, to quickly identify the victims and support them with the necessary food items.
