“Some local hunters, railway workers, and police went to rescue kidnapped victims and encountered armed herdsmen. A gunfight broke out, and some kidnappers were killed…Some northerners got angry, entered the bush, and killed two farmers.”
Ethnic violenc erupted in Abraka, Delta State, on Wednesday after police killed four suspected kidnappers in a joint operation.
The clash, which occurred in the Makati Bichi area near the railway station, triggered retaliatory attacks targeting Hausa residents.
A resident told SaharaReporters, “Some local hunters, railway workers, and police went to rescue kidnapped victims and encountered armed herdsmen. A gunfight broke out, and some kidnappers were killed.” He added that later, “Some northerners got angry, entered the bush, and killed two farmers.”
Another source said the deceased were identified as Hausa. “Two policemen were also killed, and indigenes began attacking Hausa people,” the source claimed.
The police confirmed the operation, stating, “A joint team of police, hunters, and anti-cult volunteers recovered an AK-47 and thirteen rounds of ammunition after a gun duel.” Four suspects died, and others fled with injuries.
A student claimed tensions escalated after a protest over rising abductions. “Now Hausa youths are roaming with knives and cutlasses,” he warned.