Three confirmed dead in Abuja communal clash

Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, Malam Muhammadu Bello, on Monday, confirmed that three people lost their lives in a communal clash between Gbagyi natives and Hausa residents in Bwari, a community within the FCT, Abuja, on Christmas Eve.

Bello, who imposed a curfew on the area, disclosed this during his assessment tour of the community.

As at the time of filing this report, emergency workers were still trying to put off fire that have raised down the Bwari market, while property worth millions of naira were also destroyed.

Investigations by The Nation however, revealed that the crisis was initially cult-related but later became an ethno-religious clash following the death of a native of the town.

When contacted on phone, the FCT Police Command spokesperson, the Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), Mr. Manza Anjuguri confirmed the incident, saying the information was still sketchy but the security personnel have taken over the place and normalcy has since returned to the community.

The latest uproar, according to an eyewitness, was not unconnected with the recently turbaning of a new Hausa traditional ruler known as Sarkin Bwari who is of a different lineage from the Gbagyi people that are traditionally known with the title of Esu of Bwari.

It was further gathered that protests later followed the formal appointment of Awwal Musa Ijakoro, son of the late Mohammed Musa Ijakoro as the Sarkin Bwari with the natives protesting and accusing the Minister of FCT and other officials administration of conniving to deprive them of their right to be the paramount rulers of the town.

It was learnt that the main market in the community has been burnt down with some buildings torched by the warring residents who were mostly youths.

It was learnt that Gbagyi people claimed that the new Sarkin Bwari is not from the town but from a community in Niger State, hence he should not have been turbanned and even elevated to second class title from the initial third class that his late father was erroneously turbanned.

 Confirming the incident, the police image maker, DSP Manza Anjuguri said: “the most important thing is to bring the situation under control and our men and other security operatives are already there and normalcy has since returned. I cannot tell you anything now about casualty because the information is still sketchy and we are still working on it.”

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