Two Farmers Lose Lives in Niger State Land Conflict

Tragedy struck in the village of Poto, located in the Mokwa Local Government Area of Niger State, where at least two farmers lost their lives on Thursday due to a protracted land dispute that erupted into violence with residents of the nearby Ketso village, as reported by community leaders and local residents.

The deceased were identified as Mohammed Kudu, aged 42, and Manko Ibrahim, aged 41, both natives of Poto who were working on their farms when the violence occurred.

Witnesses stated that tensions began rising around 2 p.m. when a man named Usman Manko was reportedly attacked by youths from Ketso while crossing a pedestrian bridge in the Gudzan-Poto area upon his return from Enagi, the seat of the Edati Local Government Area.

The attackers allegedly threatened that they would fulfill their long-standing promise to raid Poto village and take the lives of its residents that very day.

Shortly thereafter, at approximately 3 p.m., the confrontation escalated prominently with armed youths from Ketso organizing in significant numbers to invade the farmlands surrounding Poto, according to local sources.

Residents reported extensive property damage, including the destruction of crops and vandalization of irrigation facilities such as solar-powered water pumps and panels.

Mohammed Kudu was reportedly assaulted on his farm while resting after a day’s work. Eyewitnesses recounted that he was killed and subsequently ignited, with the assailants taking his remains.

The attackers then allegedly moved towards the village, prompting panic among numerous farmers. Manko Ibrahim, regarded by residents as a youth leader, attempted to intervene and calm the situation to avert retaliation.

However, another wave of attackers appeared shortly after and assaulted Ibrahim. He was reportedly struck on the head with a spear and attacked using locally made weapons, leading to his eventual demise.

A resident of Poto, Muhammadu Shaba, recounted, "The violence from Ketso has been ongoing for over ten years now. They often come heavily armed, even accompanied by their leaders. Following the assault on my son at the bridge, they mobilized through phone calls; one faction came to our village while another headed straight to the farms."

Shaba disclosed that Kudu was attacked while he slept on his farm. "He lost his life, and they burned his body. When they encountered our farmers, one of our leaders tried to step in but was killed by a spear," he said.

The Chief Imam of Poto, Jibrin Mohammed, called the incident heartbreaking, stating, "This is the darkest period in our lives. My younger brother was viciously killed over land that rightfully belongs to us. They have long maintained that such disputes inevitably lead to bloodshed."

Additionally, residents alleged that a letter falsely attributed to the emir’s palace instigated the recent violence.

Security analyst Lamidi Adeosun, a former Chief of Policy and Plans of the Nigerian Army, attributed the recurring land disputes to inadequate enforcement of the Land Use Act and poor delineation of boundaries.