A land ownership dispute has turned tragic in Zamfara State, where bandits killed five individuals—including former Talata-Mafara LGA boss Hon. Saminu Suleiman Morai—during a violent incursion in Morai village.
The incident occurred in the early hours of Monday, April 15, as assailants descended on the community and carried out a chilling operation from 1:00 a.m. to around 3:25 a.m.
Victims included Morai’s relatives, who were also kidnapped.
Among the deceased was Alhaji Akilu Liman, who once served as a councillor during Morai’s administration.
Zagazola Makama, a security analyst, attributed the assault to armed men based in Bayan Ruwa in Maradun LGA.
The group, according to intelligence, was reportedly called in by the Jandutsi Fulani community to avenge a controversial land allocation.
“The bandits were invited to retaliate against the alleged unlawful allocation of grazing areas in the Jandutsi forest to Hausa farmers by the Talata-Mafara council chairman,” Makama stated.
Plots of the land were allegedly sold for N50,000 per piece to the Hausa community, sparking accusations of corruption and betrayal among locals.
“This incident has heightened existing tensions between Fulani herders and Hausa farmers in the region, with the Jandutsi community reportedly seeking revenge for the alleged land sale, which they claim deprived them of vital grazing grounds,” Makama added.
Public reactions have been intense, with growing calls for a full-scale probe into the illegal land transactions and the retaliatory killings.
“Many view this incident as emblematic of the larger crisis of land disputes and corruption that continues to fuel conflict in the northwest, with politicians and their associates accused of exploiting vulnerable communities for personal gain.”
Security agencies have launched coordinated operations to hunt down the perpetrators. The victims were buried the same day in line with Islamic rites.