Police deploy joint security patrols as investigations continue into deadly attacks linked to a longstanding communal land dispute in Rafi Local Government Area

At least 18 people have been killed in a series of violent attacks linked to a protracted land dispute in Rafi Local Government Area of Niger State, with 15 victims reportedly burnt to death after assailants set fire to a two-bedroom apartment where they had sought shelter.

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The Niger State Police Command said the attacks occurred in communities around Godoro, including Angwan-Baago, while investigations continued to identify those responsible for the killings.

According to police, the violence began on June 29 when suspected armed men allegedly shot and killed Ibrahim Musa, 25, at Godoro village at about 11.30 p.m.

The command said the killing triggered a reprisal attack in which a group identified as local vigilantes, popularly known as Yansakai, allegedly blocked a road and killed Bashir Mazi, 28.

Police spokesperson SP Wasiu Abiodun said preliminary investigations indicated that both attacks were connected to a longstanding land dispute between two communities in the area.

“On 30/6/2026 at about 2 p.m., a report received from Katako District Area of Rafi LGA indicated that on 29/6/2026 at about 11.30 p.m. at Godoro village, suspected armed men fired gunshots at one Ibrahim Musa, 25 years, who died on the spot.

“As a result of this, a group of Yansakai people blocked the road and killed one Bashir Mazi, 28 years. This attack was allegedly linked to a lingering land crisis between two tribes in the area,” Abiodun said.

A community source, who requested anonymity, alleged that the conflict involved members of the Fulani and Kamuku communities and claimed that several houses had been destroyed since the violence escalated.

The source also expressed concern that women and children had been among the worst affected, calling for urgent intervention by security agencies and government authorities to prevent further bloodshed.

In a subsequent update, Abiodun disclosed that the violence worsened on July 1 when 15 people were reportedly burnt alive after attackers set a residential building ablaze.

“Furthermore, on 1/7/2026 at 10 p.m., a report received indicated that fifteen persons were reportedly burnt to death in a two-bedroom flat at Angwan-Baago via Godoro village, while one other person was also killed at another location, bringing the total number of deaths to figure 18,” he said.

The police spokesperson added that a reconciliation committee established by local government authorities was working alongside security agencies to restore peace in the affected communities.

Chairman of Rafi Local Government Area, Ayuba Katako, confirmed that the attacks occurred within the council area but declined to specify the number of casualties.

Katako said security agencies had been deployed to contain the violence and assured residents that those responsible would be identified and prosecuted.

“Yes, the crisis happened in my local government area but security agents have been drafted to halt the situation. No reasonable government will fold its hands and allow its people to be killed without stamping its authority to end the crisis,” he said.

According to the police, joint patrols involving the police and the military have since been deployed to the affected communities, while efforts to reconcile the warring groups continue.

The Niger Land Dispute Killings underscore the persistent challenge of communal conflicts in parts of Nigeria, where disputes over land ownership, farming rights and grazing routes have repeatedly sparked deadly confrontations.

Authorities have increasingly relied on a combination of security operations and community-based reconciliation initiatives to prevent such disputes from escalating into prolonged violence.