15 Properties Destroyed In Fresh Waja-Lunguda Communal Clash In Adamawa

Houses and shops have been destroyed following a fresh outbreak of violence between the Waja and Lunguda ethnic groups in Adamawa State.

This unfortunate incident was confirmed by the Adamawa State Police Command on Tuesday that at least four houses and 11 shops were burnt down following the fresh clash which occurred in the evening of Monday, January 2.

The renewed clash between Waja and Lunguda communities occurred in the usual place which happens to be Lafiya town in Lamurde Local Government Area, where the two ethnicities are concentrated.

According to reports, a fresh clash erupted between 6 pm and 7 pm on Monday leading to hoodlums setting houses, shops, and other properties ablaze and the Adamawa State Police Public Relations Officer, who disclosed that normalcy has since returned to the area, said the Command has commenced an investigation and, in due course, those behind the incident will be brought to book.

He further confirmed that Commissioner of Police Sikiru Akande had visited the scene of the incident.

Reports say that the Waja-Lugunda crisis has been a perennial problem, recurring every year, and sometimes a number of times a year as the feud was said to have roots in land ownership tussle.

The crisis has over the years deepened and created a climate of suspicions that undermined efforts by governments, NGOs, and well-meaning individuals to resolve it in the past.