Inter-state communal clash claims 20 in Adamawa

By Umar Yusuf

Yola— No fewer than 20 persons  are feared dead in a communal clash between the people of Shobbo community in Lamurde Local Government Area of Adamawa State and their Dadiya counterparts  of Balanga in Gombe State.

Twenty-seven others wounded in the skirmishes are receiving treatment in various hospitals, even as many of them are said to be on danger lists.

Eyewitness accounts said trouble started when the people of Dadiya in Gombe State were denied access to a farmland by their Shobbo neighbours in Adamawa State.

The lingering land dispute, according to the report was recently resolved and the two communities were living in peace.

Invasion, refugees
However, penultimate weekend, the Dadiya community were allegedly reported to have invaded Shobbo community killing, burning and destroying farm produce and farm lands.

The entire Shobbo village was completely razed down. Women and children were mostly affected as the attackers invaded the community when the adults were away on their farms.

Domestic animals were not left out in the attack.

Shuwa Primary School in the area has been turned into a refugee camp for victims of the skirmishes.

Lamurde council boss pleads

Chairman of Lamurde Local Government Council, Mr. Solomon Obadiah, who was on an on-the-spot assessment of the destruction, appealed to the warring communities to lay down their arms and take to the path of peace.
He disclosed that over 300 women and children that fled the area are presently in the refuge camp and appealed to NEMA, UNICEF and the Red Cross to quickly intervene with relief materials.

Police, Adamawa Assembly respond

Meanwhile, Adamawa State Police Command has dispatched anti-riot Policemen to the troubled area even as it gave the casualty figure at 10 people killed and undisclosed number of the injured.

Adamawa Police Command Spokesperson, Altine Daniel (ASP), told Vanguard that normalcy is almost returning to the troubled communities.

Meanwhile, Adamawa State House of Assembly has set up an ad-hoc committee to visit the area and assess the extent of damage done.