The Kebbi State Police Command has announced the arrest of four men in connection with a deadly clash between farmers and herders in Gulma town, Argungu Local Government Area, which left eight people dead and several others injured.

Police said the violence erupted after a farmer was allegedly stabbed to death on his farmland by a Fulani herder. The killing reportedly triggered a reprisal attack by members of the farming community, who stormed nearby Fulani settlements. The confrontation quickly escalated, resulting in multiple fatalities and deepening tensions between the two groups.

In a statement, the command’s Public Relations Officer, Bashir Usman, confirmed that detectives had arrested four suspects believed to have played key roles in the unrest. The suspects were identified as Musa Makera of Sauwa, Saidu Adamu of Sauwa, Shafi’u Hamza of Gulma, and Adamu Madugu of Gulma.

According to the police, the men are to be arraigned before a competent court on charges including criminal conspiracy, unlawful assembly, and culpable homicide. Investigators are still piecing together the sequence of events that led to the killings, taking statements from witnesses and combing the affected communities for evidence.

Usman stressed that the arrests are part of a broader effort to hold all perpetrators accountable. He said the command has intensified operations to track down additional suspects who are currently on the run, adding that no one found to have participated in the violence would be spared.

Commissioner of Police, Umar Hadejia, appealed for calm in Gulma and surrounding areas, assuring residents that security agencies are working to prevent further bloodshed. He urged community leaders, farmers, and herders to cooperate with investigators and to channel grievances through lawful means rather than resorting to self-help.

The commissioner also pledged that the case would be pursued to its “logical conclusion,” promising justice for the victims and their families. He reiterated the command’s commitment to protecting lives and property and to maintaining fragile peace in rural communities where disputes over land, grazing routes, and water often flare into violence.

Police said further updates would be provided as the investigation progresses and more suspects are apprehended.