Hausa traders and Fulani herders engaged in a bloody clash that left no fewer than ten persons reportedly injured in the Sapele Local Government Area of Delta State.
The clash happened on Monday, 30 August at the popular Hausa Market along Benin-Warri road, Amukpe, in the metropolis.
According to Punch, witnesses said that the injured persons were rushed to different hospitals in the area.
Some wooden shops at the market were visibly destroyed in the clash which resulted in a massive gridlock with many motorists hurriedly abandoning their vehicles by the roadside and fleeing for dear lives.
It was gathered that the two warring groups started engaging in a superiority battle on Sunday night after a Hausa boy from one of the Northern States was reportedly stabbed by a Fulani herder in the bush, and he rushed home with injuries.
Angered by the stabbing, the Hausas in the market, especially those of Nasarawa origin, were said to have hurriedly mobilized and attacked the Fulani herdsmen settlements in the bush.
But the Fulanis reportedly fought back, allegedly with dangerous weapons, a development which resulted in the battle that got even people who are not of northern origin running for their lives.
Meanwhile, police operatives from the Sapele Police station led by CSP Harrison Nwaboisi have waded into the incident by mobilizing security to strategic locations with a view to dousing the tension and preventing further damage.
Commenting on the incident, a trader at the market, Ibrahim Umoru, said that the crisis erupted after a Hausa boy was stabbed by a Fulani man because he was allegedly found around their camp.
“Maybe he (Fulani man) thought the boy came to steal from them. He did not ask why he (the boy) was there. The matter came to us this morning and we can’t just sit there and watch them attack us every time. We want to tell them we are not fools” the Hausa trader stated.
A Fulani herdsman who spoke under unanimity blamed the Hausas for the clash but did not elaborate.