At least 18 suspects have been arrested by the Police after the communal clash between the Gwaris and Fulanis in Gwako Village, Gwagwalada Local Government Area council of the Federal Capital Territory to help Police in the investigation of the incident that claimed two lives.
Commissioner of Police in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Aderenle Shinaba disclosed the arrests on Thursday, saying 18 suspects are already in custody in connection with the 28th December 2012 incident.
Shinaba, who is the chairman of a committee constituted by FCT Minister, Sen. Bala Mohammed to investigate the remote and immediate causes of the clash, stated this in Gwagewalada during an interview with newsmen.
The clash left two people dead, seven injured and 27 Fulani settlements razed down with residents of the affected settlements taking refuge at the University of Abuja.
He said more arrests would still be made and that mob operation would be carried out to ensure safety of lives and properties in the communities.
“Investigations have commenced fully into the clash and this is part of the resolutions the committee will come up with: how they were able to procure their bows and arrows, cutlasses, Dane guns and other implements,” he said.
“The real situation, as we speak now, is that peace has been restored in Gwako community; the area is very calm and normalcy has been restored. What we are trying to do is to sit down and look into the immediate and remote causes of the clash and that is why the FCT Minister inaugurated an 11-man committee.”
He said the committee, which has one week to submit its report, is currently at the stage of information gathering, listening to Gwari and Fulani representatives. He said the information gathering would enable the committee get to the root of the matter and proffer recommendations that will forestall future occurrence.
“Part of our mandate is to see how they will be resettled because if you look at where they were, that is the place the Fulanis can actually live because they have enough land for grazing,” he added.
“We were at the affected communities yesterday; we met with the people and saw the damages done. We are thinking on how to resettle them to where they moved from.”
About 1000 Fulanis were forcefully evacuated to the permanent site of University of Abuja from their communities after the fracas.
