Fulani/Gbagyi clash over FG pasture planting program

The Fulani and Gbagi Community in Paiko Kore in Gwagwalada Area Council in Federal Capital Territory (FCT) yesterday engaged in a clash following the plan by the federal government to plant pasture in their community to reduce the moving around of cattle.

The crisis started when the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Dr Mohammed Abubakar flagged off the National Pasture Development Programme ( NAPDEP) in Paiko Kore community presenting fertilizer, and seeds to the Fulani to grow pasture for livestock development.

The Gbagi Community while protesting over the location of the pasture in their community, argued that as the government is providing fertilizer and other inputs to grow pasture for the Fulani community, they (Gbagi Community) also need inputs to grow food.

The Gbagi community said the pasture development will encroach in their own land where they plant food for consumption.

Immediately the Minister flagged off the planting of pasture and departed from the venue, a crisis erupted as the Gbagi community and Fulani community engaged in free fall all with machetes and other weapons.

It was gathered that many locals were injured as Ministry staff and journalists scampered for safety.

The Nigerian Police who were at the programme fired shots in the air to disperse the rampaging youth but all to no avail.

It took the intervention of the Nigerian Army to quench the crisis as the Civil Defense officers and policemen at the scene were overwhelmed.

At the time of filing this report, normalcy has returned to the community, but there is growing tension of reprisal attacks either from the Fulani community or the Gbagi community.