Not more than three people have been feared dead and more than five others injured in a community clash that involved some Gbagyi ( rightful indigenes of Abuja) and Hausa youths in the 3rd Avenue area of Gwarinpa, Abuja.
Reports from the Federal Capital Territory Police Command, however, said only one person died in the clash instead of the numbers making rounds on social media.
The Tussle, which continued on Monday 24th of April, was said to have began three days earlier.
News outlets discovered that officials of the Federal Capital Territory Joint Security Taskforce succeeded in restoring normalcy and order to the area on Monday.
News outlets correspondent gathered that the crisis started on Saturday evening in one of the areas in Gwarinpa populated by Gbagyi natives.
A confidential source whom was at the incident told news correspondents that the clash broke out following a series of coordinated attack by hoodlums, mostly commercial tricycles operators, owners and drug peddlers on the home of a local politician who resides in the community.
“This was followed by a reprisal attack by some Gbagyi natives (rightful indigenes of Abuja) in the community, and about three people have been killed so far, while more than five people have been severely injured,” the annonymous source added.
Meanwhile, credible eyewitnesses who spoke to news correspondent on Monday disclosed that the riot broke out following the alleged discovery by some suspected drug dealers that someone was working as an informant to security operatives who are on their trail for dealing in illegal banned substances (Narcotics).
“The discovery prompted the drug dealers to attack the alleged informant and the situation escalated until Monday when security operatives intervened, but three people have been killed before they could intervene,” the credible eyewitness said.
Meanwhile, discoveries by news correspondent revealed that some injured residents were admitted at the Federal Road Safety Corp Medical Centre, located in Gwarinpa.
Medical practitioners at the Federal Road Safety Corp Medical Centre confirmed that at least two people died during the clash, while there are others still in critical condition, and have been referred to the National Hospital in Abuja.
Meanwhile, the acting Commissioner of Police, FCT Command, DCP Ahmed Musa, on Monday, met with leaders of the Gbagyi and Hausa communities in the area to make peace among the natives.
This was as the command confirmed one death and an arrest.
The command’s spokesperson, SP Josephine Adeh, disclosed this in a statement made available to journalists.
Adeh said, “The acting CP for the FCT, DCP Ahmed Musa, has met with traditional rulers of both the Hausa and Gbagyi communities in Gwarinpa at his office in the command headquarters to broker peace between both groups, deliberate on possible collaboration necessary to keep the youth in check and oust troublemakers in the communities.
“The fracas between the two groups which caused the grievous wounding of two youths who were conveyed to the hospital where one was eventually declared dead after attempts to attend to his wounds failed, led to the arrest of one suspect who is currently assisting the police in their investigations to ascertain the immediate and remote causes of the affray.”
She added that the CP has urged the traditional rulers to encourage youths to explore legal means to settle grievances.
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