By Muhammed Abubakar, Reporting
Scores have been injured as the Federal Government of Nigeria allegedly fuelled a communal crisis between Fulani and Gbagi communities in Paiko Kore in Gwagwalada Area Council in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) over planting of grass for grazing of cows belonging to Fulani community.
The free-for-all began when the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Dr Mohammed Abubakar, went to Gbagi community to kick-off the National Pasture Development Programme ( NAPDEP) in Paiko Kore.
The Minister had presented fertilizers and seeds to grow pasture for livestock development in the area for the Fulani community.
But Gbagi community, which felt marginalised, decided to protest over the location of the pasture in their community.
They argued that as the government was providing fertilizers and other inputs to grow pasture for the Fulani community, they (Gbagi community) also needed inputs to grow their agricultural food.
Besides, Gbagi community affirmed that the pasture development will encroach in their own land where they plant food for consumption.
These complaints fell into the deaf ears of the Federal Government as shortly after the Minister kicked-off the planting of pasture and departed from the venue without responding to the demands of the Gbagi natives, violence erupted.
Aggrieved Gbagi community and Fulani community engaged themselves in free-for-all with machetes and other weapons freely used.
Scores of the locals were reportedly injured as the Ministry staff and journalists scampered to safety.
Operatives of the Nigerian Police, who were at the programme, fired shots in the air to disperse the rampaging youths, but all to no avail.
Stonix News reports that it took the intervention of the Nigerian Army to quell the fierce clash bas the rampaging warring factions had overwhelmed the Civil Defense officers and policemen at the scene.
Although normalcy was later restored in the community, there’s palpable fears that the last may not have been heard of the brewing communal clash except the Federal Government intervenes in the matter.
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