Residents of Sapele, Sapele Local Government Area, Delta State, are tense after a brutal battle between Hausa traders and Fulani herders in the area on Monday at the famed Hausa Market along the Benin-Warri road, Amukpe, in the city.
According to witnesses, ten people were injured in the ensuing chaos and were brought to several hospitals in the region with various degrees of injuries.
The clash also wrecked some wooden businesses at the market, causing a large traffic jam, with many motorists hurriedly parking their vehicles along the wayside and fleeing for safety.
According to reports, the two warring factions began a supremacy struggle on Sunday night after a Hausa kid from one of the Northern states was allegedly stabbed in the bush by a Fulani herder and rushed home with injuries.
The Hausas in the market, particularly those of Nasarawa descent, were claimed to have rushed to mobilize and assault the Fulani herdsmen communities in the woods, enraged by the stabbing.
The Fulanis, on the other hand, are said to have fought back, apparently with lethal weapons, resulting in a conflict that sent even civilians fleeing for their lives.
Meanwhile, Sapele Police Station operatives, commanded by CSP Harrison Nwaboisi, have entered the fray by deploying security to crucial places in order to defuse tensions and avert more damage.
Ibrahim Umoru, a vendor at the market, told media that the conflict erupted after a Hausa youngster was stabbed by a Fulani man because he was supposedly located near their tent.
“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 that we are not fools,” the Hausa trader stated.
On the condition of anonymity, a Fulani herdsman blamed the Hausas for the brawl, but offered no other details.
As of the time of reporting this story, DSP Edafe Bright, the acting Police Public Relations Officer, could not be reached for comment on the event.
