Residents of Kawo in the Nasarawa Local Government Area of Kano State have raised the alarm over renewed violence linked to suspected gang activity, as clashes entered a third straight day on Tuesday.
They said that the unrest has disrupted business activities and heightened fear among traders, commuters, and residents.
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Many described the situation as a re-emergence of organised street violence across parts of the state.
A resident, Muhammad, said the persistent clashes had forced some shop owners to scale down operations due to safety concerns.
“They have not started attacking homes, but they intimidate traders and dispossess them of their goods,” he said.
Residents traced the origin of the crisis to a dispute among commercial tricycle operators in the area about three weeks ago.
The disagreement reportedly involved operators from different sections of Kawo.
One resident, who identified herself as Mama, said the tension began when a group of riders blocked a major road early in the morning, preventing others from accessing the route.
She alleged that the group displayed weapons and threatened opposing riders, leading to injuries and damage to a tricycle.
The incident was said to have later triggered reprisal attacks between the rival groups.
Another resident, known as Barrister, confirmed that the confrontation caused heavy traffic congestion and panic, though other road users were not directly targeted.
A female resident, who declined to be named, described the situation as deeply troubling and called for urgent intervention.
Meanwhile, a social commentator, Sagiru Yarima, blamed the rising violence on increasing drug abuse among youths and the influence of political actors.
He warned that gang-related activities have steadily grown over the years and identified several areas in Kano as flashpoints for such incidents.
According to him, some groups have also begun using locally fabricated firearms, raising further security concerns.
He called on political leaders, traditional institutions, and religious figures to take decisive action, while urging citizens to reject any form of political violence.
In response, the Kano State Police Command said it was monitoring the situation and had intensified efforts to restore order.
The Command noted that many of the clashes involved rival groups within the same communities and assured residents of ongoing operations to prevent further escalation.
The police also highlighted the recent establishment of a violent crime response unit, made up of specially trained officers to tackle emerging security threats.
Despite these measures, residents say fear continues to grow as uncertainty remains over the scale of the violence and the number of casualties, which had yet to be confirmed as of the time of filing this report.
