A 14-year-old girl has been injured in a suspected herder-farmer clash in Majelisa village, a community on the border between Nasarawa and Plateau states, following a dispute over grazing activities.
The victim, identified as Amina Ya’u, sustained gunshot wounds when suspected armed herders allegedly opened fire on farmers at about 6.30am on Thursday, November 5.
Troops of Sector 9, Operation Enduring Peace (OPEP), deployed in Jenta, reportedly rushed to the community after receiving a distress call over sporadic gunshots.
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According to a report by counter-insurgency publication Zagazola Makama, the soldiers found the teenage girl injured, while the suspected attackers had fled before their arrival.
“Preliminary investigations indicated that a group of armed herders allegedly opened fire on farmers following a disagreement over grazing activities,” the report stated.
The troops evacuated the girl to the General Hospital, Lafia, for medical treatment.
The publication added that security operatives were engaging Fulani leaders to help identify and locate the fleeing suspects.
Troops have also intensified patrols and increased their presence in the community to prevent further violence and avert an escalation of the dispute.
The attack comes amid recurring tensions between farming and herding communities across Nigeria’s North-Central region, where disputes over land use, grazing routes and access to farmland have frequently resulted in violence.
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