At least 10 people were injured after residents of Chirif Magaji and Chirif Dikko communities in Rabah Local Government Area of Sokoto State clashed over a disputed farmland.
The two communities have been arguing over ownership and use of the land for nearly three years, but the disagreement turned violent on Tuesday.
A security source told Daily Trust that the conflict centers on which community has the right to farm the land. Local authorities had previously intervened and reached a peace deal allowing both communities to share the farmland.
According to the source, violence erupted when members of one community went to clear the farmland and were allegedly ambushed by rivals armed with Dane guns and machetes.
The attackers opened fire, injuring six people. Members of the affected community later mobilised and launched a reprisal attack, injuring four people from the opposing side.
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All injured victims were taken to hospital for treatment. Some sustained gunshot wounds while others suffered machete cuts. Those with less severe injuries are receiving treatment at the General Hospital in Rabah, while those with more serious injuries have been referred to the Usmanu Danfodiyo University Teaching Hospital.
Security personnel were deployed immediately after receiving a distress call and have since restored order. The source dismissed social media reports claiming the incident was a bandit attack, insisting it was linked to the long-running land dispute. No deaths had been recorded at the time of reporting.
Confirming the incident, Rabah Local Government chairman Yusuf Muhammad Rabah said the situation had been brought under control.
The spokesperson for the Sokoto State Police Command, DSP Ahmad Rufai, said he was yet to receive a formal briefing on the dispute.
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