Niger: Communal violence tears Rafi LG apart, turns neighbours to enemies 

For decades, Fulani and Kamuku communities in Tashan-Bako area of Rafi Local Government Area of Niger State lived side by side, intermarried, shared farmlands and maintained relationships built over generations.

Today, that peaceful coexistence has been shattered by a communal conflict that has left communities in ruins, hundreds of houses destroyed and many families struggling to recover.

Among those worst affected is Mallam Sani Yerima, who lost 43 members of his family, including his wives, brothers, sisters and grandchildren, in a single attack. 

Like many other survivors, he is now trying to rebuild his life after losing almost everything.

Officially, police confirmed 18 deaths in the early days of the violence. 

But interviews conducted by DAILY POST suggest the casualty figure could be much higher. 

Dr. Abdullahi Ishaq, an ADC chieftain, estimated that more than 200 people were killed, while former Rafi State Constituency lawmaker Mohammed Danladi Bako put the figure at 256. 

The Rafi Local Government Council is currently conducting an inventory of those killed and properties destroyed to determine the actual number of casualties and the scale of destruction.

Findings by DAILY POST showed that the violence affected communities under the Tashan-Bako axis. 

Residents said it escalated at Anguwan Bawa Maigonjo, about two kilometres from Tashan-Bako, before spreading to Anguwan Boka, Anguwan Saidu, Anguwan Danasabe and other neighbouring settlements.

Reliable sources in the area told DAILY POST that more than 600 houses belonging to both Fulani and Kamuku communities were either burnt or destroyed during the violence. 

The local government is still assessing the number of houses destroyed as part of its ongoing inventory.

Interviews conducted by DAILY POST with survivors, residents, government officials, security authorities and community leaders revealed differing accounts of how the crisis escalated. 

While the police, the Niger State Government and the Rafi Local Government Council linked the violence to a longstanding land dispute, some residents and stakeholders argued that other unresolved issues contributed to the breakdown of peace.

‘I lost 43 members of my family’ – 

For Mallam Sani Yerima, the crisis was more than a communal clash. It wiped out almost his entire family.

In an interview with DAILY POST, Yerima said 43 members of his family, including his wife, brothers, sisters, grandchildren and other relatives, were killed when his house was allegedly set on fire at Anguwan Bawa Maigonjo.

He said he was in Tegina on the day of the attack when his wife called to inform him that rumours had spread through the village that bandits were approaching.

According to him, some Fulani neighbours asked residents not to flee, assuring them they would protect them.

Believing the assurance, members of his family gathered inside his house, including four pregnant women, while, according to Yerima, those who offered the protection remained around the house.

He explained, “My wife called me and said people were saying bandits were coming. While we were talking, someone collected the phone from her. That was the last time I heard her voice.”

Yerima said one of his sons survived because he had gone to the farm before the violence started.

According to him, his son returned from the farm, noticed that the village had been thrown into confusion and climbed a tree to hide. 

From there, he watched what was happening around his house before later informing him that members of the family had been locked inside the house, which was eventually set ablaze.

He stated that he immediately contacted the police, the military and local vigilantes and they set out for the village.

However, after getting to the Tashan-Bako axis, security personnel reportedly said they had not received clearance and were not prepared to proceed to Anguwan Bawa Maigonjo where the attack occurred.

They returned to Tegina and went back the following day when they found the remains of his relatives.

“When we got there, my family had been burnt. I lost everything, even food stuff, they went away with them,” he stated.

Now living in Tegina, Yerima said he no longer has a home or personal belongings and depends largely on assistance from sympathisers.

He lamented that no official from the local, state or federal government, or the traditional institution, had visited him to condole with him over the loss.

“I never had any problem with any Fulani person in my life. If anybody says I did, let the person come forward. I have left everything to God,” he said.

How the crisis unfolded

The exact sequence of events leading to the widespread violence remains disputed.

Police said the first recorded incident occurred on the night of June 29, 2026, when 25-year-old Ibrahim Musa was shot dead in Godoro village. 

According to the police, the killing triggered a reprisal attack in which Bashir Mazi was killed before the violence escalated on July 1, when 15 people were burnt to death in a house at Anguwan-Baago, bringing the official death toll at the time to 18.

However, residents and community leaders who spoke with DAILY POST gave a different account of how the violence spread across communities under the Tashan-Bako axis.

According to them, tension had been building over a dispute involving farmland before panic gripped the area following rumours that armed bandits were approaching the communities.

They alleged that the situation escalated after 43 members of Yerima’s family were burnt to death at Anguwan Bawa Maigonjo, about two kilometres from Tashan-Bako.

Residents said the killings triggered widespread reprisals, with both Fulani and Kamuku communities attacking each other and setting houses ablaze.

The violence quickly spread to Anguwan Boka, Anguwan Saidu, Anguwan Danasabe and other neighbouring settlements, forcing many residents to flee.

According to reliable sources in the area, more than 600 houses belonging to both communities were either burnt or destroyed before security agencies restored relative calm.

The Rafi Local Government Council is still conducting an inventory of those killed and properties destroyed, while police said investigations are ongoing and that several suspects have been arrested in connection with the violence.

Land dispute and conflicting accounts

Niger State Police Command, the Rafi Local Government Council and the Niger State Government have all maintained that the crisis was rooted in a longstanding land dispute between members of the Fulani and Kamuku communities.

Rafi Local Government Chairman, Ayuba Katako, told Daily Post that available records before the council showed the conflict started from a disagreement over farmland.

He dismissed suggestions that politics was the main cause of the violence, insisting that the underlying issue was the land dispute.

“Leave politics to politicians. The real issue is farmland and not on any donation,” he said, adding that the state government’s directive on land administration was expected to address some of the grievances that led to the crisis.

Katako said there were no longer any Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camps in the area, explaining that those who took refuge at temporary shelters had since returned to their communities or moved in with relatives and neighbours after normalcy began to return.

According to him, the council is compiling the number of those killed and properties destroyed to enable the state government provide relief and compensation to affected victims.

He added that one of the challenges facing the council was obtaining the bank details of some victims to facilitate payment of the planned assistance.

Former member of the Niger State House of Assembly, Mohammed Danladi Bako, also traced the conflict to a land dispute, alleging that the disputed farmland had been sold years earlier and that disagreements over ownership later reopened old grievances.

He, however, said the violence assumed a much larger dimension after the initial killings, leading to reprisals that engulfed several communities and claimed many more lives.

Relief efforts, arrests and search for justice

As the violence subsided, the Niger State Government and security agencies rolled out measures aimed at restoring calm and supporting affected communities.

Former member of the Niger State House of Assembly, Mohammed Danladi Bako, said Deputy Governor Comrade Yakubu Garba visited the area on July 6 , shortly after the violence and announced the release of N10 million each to the Fulani and Kamuku communities to support those displaced, who were then taking refuge at temporary shelters, including a primary school.

Bako said the temporary shelters had since been closed, with families whose homes were not destroyed returning to their communities, while others whose houses were burnt moved in with relatives and neighbours. 

Katako confirmed that there were no longer any IDP camps in the area, saying the council was compiling victims’ details to support the planned relief process.

He said the council was carrying out an inventory of those killed and properties destroyed to enable the state government provide relief to affected families.

The council chairman explained that the exercise also includes compiling the bank details of victims, many of whom do not have bank accounts, to facilitate the planned compensation.

When Governor Mohammed Umaru Bago later visited the affected communities on July 16, he described the crisis as unfortunate and blamed land grabbing and the activities of some local actors for worsening the situation.

The governor directed that persons found culpable should be arrested and prosecuted. 

He also announced N1 million for each person killed, N1 million for every destroyed house and financial support for those who sustained injuries during the violence.

The Commissioner of Police, CP Adamu Elleman, told DAILY POST that several suspects had been arrested in connection with the crisis, adding that investigations were continuing.

“We have made arrests and we are still making more arrests. Investigation is ongoing and, when we conclude, those found culpable will be charged to court and if found guilty, it’s straight to the prison. We will not spare anyone,” he maintained.

Elleman added that the police had held meetings with community leaders, religious leaders, traditional rulers and other security agencies to prevent further reprisals and encourage residents to channel grievances through lawful means rather than resort to violence.

A community left to rebuild

After the violence, affected communities are still counting their losses.

For survivors like Mallam Sani Yerima, the question goes beyond compensation. He wants justice, accountability and an assurance that what happened to his family will not be repeated.

The destruction has also affected livelihoods in the area, with many residents losing farmlands, homes and sources of income. 

Families who depended on farming and local businesses are now trying to rebuild with limited support.

While the state government has announced compensation and security agencies have promised prosecution of those responsible, residents say the long-term challenge is restoring trust between communities that lived together for decades before the crisis.

The ongoing inventory by the Rafi Local Government Council is expected to provide a clearer picture of the number of people killed, homes destroyed and families affected.

But for many survivors, including Yerima, recovery will take more than rebuilding houses.

It will require justice for those who died, support for those who survived and renewed efforts to prevent another cycle of violence in Tashan-Bako and its surrounding communities.

Niger: Communal violence tears Rafi LG apart, turns neighbours to enemies