By Sola Shittu, Gombe

Ten persons have been reportedly injured in a bloody clash over farmland in Nyuwar, Balanga Local Government area of Gombe State.

The victims, mostly women and children, were attacked when working with herbicide on the farm to prepare the ground for the planting season.

Eyewitness said the farmland, which had been subject of controversy between Lunguda and Waja tribes, had been handed over to the women fellowship of ECWA church to farm grains because of the food shortage resulting from the attack on Nyuwar and Jessu communities in April.

“But the women were attacked while working on the farm by Waja youths who have vowed never to allow farming on the land this planting season.

“The injured women later ran back to the community to report the incident to the police men stationed to provide security for the area,” said Edwin Alhoki whose brother was one of the injured.

Alhoki claimed three suspects were arrested by the police when they visited the scene on Monday.

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According to him, the youths however regrouped in the evening, demanding release of the three suspects and unleashed fresh attacks on the community, increasing the number of the injured to ten.

Commissioner of Police, Ishola Babaita, confirmed the incident but said it is a continuation of the April attack.

Babaita however said although no arrest has been made but he has deployed more policemen to the place to reinforce those already there.

Gombe State Government Imposed 24-hour curfew on the communities of Nyuwar, Jessu, Heme, Yolde Gelentuku, Sikam, Wala-Lunguda and environs in Balanga Local Government area with immediate effect.

The Secretary to the State Government, Prof. Ibrahim Abubakar Njodi, who made the announcement, said the decision followed renewed violence that erupted in the communities on Tuesday

According to the SSG, the curfew becomes necessary to restore peace and order in the affected areas.

He said security personnel have been deployed to restore normalcy while the curfew subsists until further notice.