Three people have been killed, while a police inspector sustained injuries during violence along the Besse–Shanga riverine axis of Kebbi State.
The Kebbi State Police Command said the violence followed rumours of cattle rustling by suspected Lakurawa terrorists and reports of a possible attack, prompting the mobilisation of local vigilantes known as Yan Sakai.
The police spokesperson, SP Bashir Usman, disclosed this on Tuesday while reacting to a viral video showing residents fleeing affected communities towards Koko town.
According to Usman, the incident occurred on October 22 when armed members of Yan Sakai reportedly attacked Samanaji Market and killed three Fulani residents.
He added that three other people sustained injuries, while a police inspector deployed alongside other officers to restore peace was also injured.
The spokesperson explained that subsequent reprisal attacks in Karwa, Tunga Hako and Buma villages resulted in the burning of several Fulani settlements and the displacement of residents.
Usman said the current displacement was linked to the retaliatory violence that spread across the affected communities.
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In response, the Commissioner of Police, CP Umar Hadejia, deployed additional police personnel and joint security teams to the affected areas to prevent further attacks and restore calm.
The police said investigations into the incident were ongoing.
The command urged residents to remain calm and avoid spreading unverified information that could worsen the security situation.
However, the police did not disclose the number of people displaced or the extent of property destroyed during the violence.
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