Ahmed Abubakar, Dutse
Marma village in Kirikasanma Local Government Area is certainly one of those historically peaceful settings that earns for Jigawa State the reputation of a very peaceful state. A serene pastoral environment wrapped in the very heart of nature, the members of the community are known to mind their business and stay away from trouble.
However, last week, the community was devoured by a devastating conflict and for the first time in recent times it was dislodged by Fulani herders who not only sacked the people from their homes but also destroyed their farmlands and looted their property.
Trouble, it was gathered, started about two weeks ago when some Fulani herdsmen and some local farmers had some altercations over alleged act of encroachment into the farmers’ land.
The cows herded by the Fulani were accused of eating up a large portion of the farm produce of the community for which the farmers and the rest of the community were grossly embittered.
Initially, several unsuccessful efforts were made by the community to peacefully engage the Fulani intruders and stop themfrom further encroachment on their farmlands.
In the light of this, a fight broke out between the farmers and Fulani herdsmen, which resulted in the injury of some of the people from the area, many of whom were taken to the Hadejia General Hospital for medical attention.
For the unsuspecting people of Marma, last week’s attack was like the end of time. The Fulani warriors launched the attack in broad daylight, driving in droves and shooting their arrows at residents, which predictably created a whirlwind of confusion and pandemonium.
An eyewitness told Daily Sun’s reporter, over the weekend, that shocked by the sudden wave of members of the community, mostly women and children, fled for safety, many of which is reported to have run towards the river.
Forty six year old Mallama Hansatu said she had to carry her three children on her back, one on her neck while the other was held in her both arms as she maneuvered their way through the river, while fleeing from the devilish exploits of the attackers.
Hansatu recalled that many women, some heavily pregnant and with children, rushed into the river as the only ‘easy’ escape route from the daredevil Fulani herdsmen, who continued to shoot their arrows at them even while they were wading through the river.
She said that some of the women were struck by the arrows, but none lost her life.
The Bulama of the village, Malam Abubakar Barde, who is presently squatting in a temporary shelter in a neighbouring community, said although the community had over the years been faced with Fulani invaders, this year’s attack was the worst in history.
Abubakar Barde, who spoke to our reporter on phone, narrated how his community was sacked by the heartless criminals.
“I was sitting at my palace together with residents, when the alarm was raised that a troop of Fulani herdsmen and their cattle were heading towards the village centre,” he recounted.
“Before I could make any move we started seeing arrows flying all over the place and then the attackers came in with hundreds of cows asking us to all immediately leave the town or else they would kill us.
“We had to scamper for safety, and the river was the only available way out for us. We asked our women and their children to run as far as their legs could carry them”, he explained.
“They searched all of our houses after they had sent us all out and started stealing our stored foodstuffs, clothes, women jewelelries and any item they see as valuable or useful to them,” said the Bulama.
“The criminals refused to even listen to the plea by some Fulani residents living among us, threatening to also kill them if they offer us shelter”, he added.
A councillor representing the area, Malam Saidu Dauda, also told our reporter that the attack was the worst in recent years, adding that even the few number of policemen dispatched to the area to quell the situation were afraid of confronting the Fulani men.
He stated that they stood next to the policemen, far from the scene and watched the marauders loot from house to house.
Commissioner of Police, Jigawa State, Mr. Bala Zama Senchi, said he had earlier deployed a team of mobile policemen under the supervision of the officer in charge of operations.
Senchi told our reporter that the security operatives returned and told him that there was no such attack on the people as alleged.
He said he could not understand what the people of the area were trying to gain in giving false information as the truh.
He added that he was aware that one person was confirmed dead and six others maimed in an earlier clash between farmers and herders in Guri and Kirikasamma Local Government Areas of the state.
The Commissioner of Police said one person was killed while three persons were injured in Kirikasamma LGA, stressing that there is also an apparent tension in Birniwa Local Government, which made him to deploy about 400 police officers to avoid a reprisal.
He added that some officers would be moved to neighboring local government of Kirikasamma and Guri to be at an alert for any breakdown of law.