Angry youths set homes and shops ablaze in the Hausa quarters of Auchi on Saturday, following mounting frustration over persistent kidnapping incidents in the area.
The unrest came after about a week of peaceful protests by elderly women in the community, who laid curses on those allegedly responsible for the abductions and called for an end to the insecurity.
Eyewitnesses report that kidnappings have become frequent, with ransoms sometimes demanded as high as N100 million. Many indigenes blame elements within the Hausa migrant population, claiming that Auchi's hospitality has been exploited.
They point to an influx of settlers some without fixed addresses who they say outnumber locals in parts of the town and are often seen loitering at night.
Youths mobilized across Auchi, targeting Hausa individuals without verifiable residences and demanding that all residents provide permanent addresses for accountability.
The situation escalated when groups stormed the Hausa quarters, scattering residents and torching structures. Many Hausa inhabitants fled as properties burned.
Security forces, including Nigerian Army personnel, were deployed to restore calm and prevent further violence.
Some community leaders accused the military of protecting Hausa residents rather than safeguarding indigenes.
A member of the Otaru Council expressed the community's grievances: “For months now, we have been facing a lot of kidnapping issues. Every day, there must be a report of kidnapping.
"Once they kidnap, the ransom they ask for is from N100 million. And we cannot take it anymore.”He added: “Any Hausa without residence is asked to leave.
"We want every Hausa man or woman to have a place to stay in our community, not by hanging around.”
No casualties have been confirmed so far, but the incident has heightened fears of reprisals and deepened communal tensions in a region already grappling with widespread insecurity.
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