Two farmers simply identified as Yababannakwa and Ya’ Alhaji on Sunday lost their lives in a territorial conflict between natives of Eppa Village and Etishehi neignbourhood of Mokwa Local Government Area, Niger State.
WikkiTimes learned that the dispute also led to the arson of eight motorcycles In Etishehi and several houses belonging to Eppa residents in Mokwa.
One of the deceased (Ya’Alhaji) had gone to his farm following a downpour on Saturday. “But we dont know what trabnpired at the farm,” said a source who gave his name as Muhammad. However, an account given by him suggested that Ya’Alhaji was simultaneously arrowed and shot at by angy Eppa fighters.
“As they continued to shoot him, one of them hit his head on a tree which led to his death,” Muhammad said. “He was later thrown into a pond around their farm.”
Yababannakwa (the second deceased person), according to sources, witnessed the incident. “But he managed to escape,” a resident who pleaded anonymity said.
“Yababannakwa had gone home already, But he returned to the crisis scene when he learned that his friend (Ya’Alhaji) had been murdered,” the source continued. “He angrily went back to the farm with a gun. Upon reaching the scene, he started shooting and missed the targeted villagers.”
Unfortunately, the opponents were hiding in between trees in the farm. “When he was moving closer in retaliation,the villagers hiding in trees attacked him and macheted him with cutlass. He was also shot multiple times.”
While the deceased persons were said to be from Etishehi in Mokwa, the casualty figures at Eppa is yet unknown.
Sources told WikkiTimes the case of “the land dispute” has been in court for a while and often ignites face-offs between the warring communities.
Mob Set Alight Properties Belonging To Eppa Natives Living in Mokwa
After the gruesome murder of the two farmers, WikkiTimes gathered that some angry mob destroyed properties belonging to Eppa villagers residing in Mokwa town.
“The residents and families of deceased invaded Eppa households in Mokwa but did not found any one,” a discrete source told WikkiTimes, adding that shops and houses owned by Eppa people were set on fire, “Including a car and house belonging to Eppa village head.”
“The mob burgled shops, carted away valuables before destroying the properties,” he added. “Two barbing clippers bought for N14, 000 were missing when they attacked the shop.”
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When contacted, Niger State Police Spokesman, DSP Wasium Abiodun was not available for comment. At press time, he had not responded to a text sent to him.
Last month, a similar incident occurred in the same town, leading to hindrance of vehicular movement in the town.
Some irate youth protesting an arrest order “given by the court” against their kinsman blocked the Mokwa-Ilorin highway for hours before matching to the house of Mokwa leading monarch to set his belongings alight. In retaliation, the monarch targeted them with sporadic gunshots. But he missed the target and homecoming pupils became victims.
