Chafuyi Riot
At least four people are feared dead and others injured in Chafuyi Village, Apo District, Abuja Nigeria, following the death of a Gwari man (Nuhu).
The death of the young man ‘Nuhu’ which came as a shock to both the indigenes and the non-indigenes of the Chafuyi Community, Apo has led to chaos and tension in the community. On the scene of the incident, an eye witness ‘Uzor’ took time to explain the situation that led to the menace.
According to the eye witness (Uzor), who is a resident of the community, “On Saturday, October 26, 2019, Chafuyi taskforce team in Apo which is dominated by the indigenes, started the demolition of “illegal extensions” which consists of shop-projections by shop owners along the street-road causing unnecessary traffic.
“Although the shop owners were given a month prior notice and advised to remove the said illegal extensions by themselves, some shop owners did not heed to the notice”.
Uzor added that, “On that Saturday morning, the task force embarked on the demolition of those structures. On getting to a pharmacy shop in the community, the apprentice was seen recording the taskforce team as they demolished his shop. He was asked to stop but he vehemently refused and that lead to the misunderstanding that triggered unwarranted chaos. That misunderstanding resulted in the death of one of the task force members – an indigene.
“At first, the victim was taken to a nearby hospital in the village but due to lack of medical equipment, he was referred to a better hospital in town for proper care. But unfortunately for us all, the indigene (Nuhu) was declared dead on arrival at the hospital”.
He continued, “When the news about Nuhu’s death got the community, both the taskforce and indigenous youth of the Chafuyi community, Apo, caused havoc and tension in the community. The said pharmacy and house which was believed to be owned by an Igbo man was burnt to the ground.
“Additionally, all the shops in the community were instantly locked down. All commercial trees in the community where all cut down, some houses and shops believed to belong to Igbos were also burnt to the ground. Community residents who are non-indigenes had to run for their dear lives as the tension worsened in the community that day”, he concluded.
Word reaching Everyeveryng is that although the shops in the community are still locked, normalcy is gradually returning.
The Nigeria Police Force intervened in other to restore peace and order in the community. Also, it’s confirmed that the Igbo Union in the Chafuyi community Apo, the Police, the Chiefs and the elders of both tribes are now working in synergy to restore peace and tranquility to the Chafuyi Community.