Leaders from the Nanumba North area met with people living in Sabonjida and Afayili to fix problems between them and local herdsmen. The meeting happened because things almost turned into a big fight, which made local officials step in fast. Police ask everyone to follow the right steps when they have problems instead of taking action themselves. But people from Sabonjida said the police were not fair and helped the herdsmen more than them.
The trouble started on March 18 when someone attacked places where Fulbe people lived in Sabonjida. They killed animals and broke property. This happened because robbers, who some thought were Fulbe, killed a Konkomba person earlier. People from nearby towns then attacked back, killing farm animals and burning Fulbe houses. Someone named Alhaji died during these attacks.
Police came quickly and caught two people who had guns, bullets, and dead animals. Many Fulbe people ran away after that, leaving their cattle behind. On March 21, Nanumba North officials visited these places, asking for peace. The herdsmen's speaker, Mohammed Yahaya, said they wanted to come back just long enough to find more than 400 missing cattle. He promised they would leave once they found their animals.
The people of Afayili accepted this message and agreed to keep the peace, calling the whole thing a mix-up. A leader speaking for them welcomed the peaceful talk. The Sabonjida leader also wanted peace but felt things would work better if herdsmen left for good. When officials went to Sabonjida, things got heated. Those townspeople still blamed all herdsmen for making the area unsafe and wanted police to free the arrested men.
Locals became upset when police said not every Fulbe person should be blamed for what a few did. They saw this as police taking sides with herdsmen. No one from Sabonjida would talk to Channel One News about what happened, and police also refused to comment. Afayili seems ready to make peace, but deep anger in Sabonjida shows the area needs more talking and healing efforts before everyone feels safe again.
The trouble started on March 18 when someone attacked places where Fulbe people lived in Sabonjida. They killed animals and broke property. This happened because robbers, who some thought were Fulbe, killed a Konkomba person earlier. People from nearby towns then attacked back, killing farm animals and burning Fulbe houses. Someone named Alhaji died during these attacks.
Police came quickly and caught two people who had guns, bullets, and dead animals. Many Fulbe people ran away after that, leaving their cattle behind. On March 21, Nanumba North officials visited these places, asking for peace. The herdsmen's speaker, Mohammed Yahaya, said they wanted to come back just long enough to find more than 400 missing cattle. He promised they would leave once they found their animals.
The people of Afayili accepted this message and agreed to keep the peace, calling the whole thing a mix-up. A leader speaking for them welcomed the peaceful talk. The Sabonjida leader also wanted peace but felt things would work better if herdsmen left for good. When officials went to Sabonjida, things got heated. Those townspeople still blamed all herdsmen for making the area unsafe and wanted police to free the arrested men.
Locals became upset when police said not every Fulbe person should be blamed for what a few did. They saw this as police taking sides with herdsmen. No one from Sabonjida would talk to Channel One News about what happened, and police also refused to comment. Afayili seems ready to make peace, but deep anger in Sabonjida shows the area needs more talking and healing efforts before everyone feels safe again.
