Thirteen settlements allegedly belonging to Fulani herdsmen were burnt down at Tumbarangabili village, Michika Local Government Area, Adamawa State, following a row between them and farmers in the area.

An eye witness told to THISDAY that the clash started in the area when a corpse of a missing female resident of Tumbarangabili Village was found in a forest along the grazing routes of the Fulani herdsmen's settlement near the village.

The eyewitness who pleaded anonymity, further said: "The deceased woman left home to harvest her farm produce only to be attacked by unidentified assailants", adding that "before the corpse was found, the deceased had been missing from home for two days which informed the raising of a search team that discovered her dead body in the said forest".

He explained that the body was mutilated with a sharp object believed to be a knife by her assailants which made the youths in the village to launch attacks on any visible settlements of nomads in the area.

The source further disclosed that the nature in which the deceased was murdered aroused suspicion following the antecedent and antics of the Fulani herdsmen in the area.

He added that, about 13 settlements belonging to nomads were completely destroyed by the youths before the intervention of the police and chairman of Michika Local Government Area, Mr. Vandi Favanza, who prevented a bloody encounter between the youths and nomads.

The source also said that the nomads had earlier denied being responsible the deceased's death.

Adamawa State Police Public Relations Officer, Ibrahim Muhammad, a deputy superintendent of police, confirmed the incident, but added that the command was yet to be briefed fully on the matter.