Tension is brewing in Adamawa State’s Demsa Local Government Area as the Bille District raises alarm over a potential communal clash with neighbouring Dong District.

Speaking at a press briefing in Bille town, the Bille Youths Federation, led by its president, Comrade Wilfred Jerimond, accused authorities of failing to fully implement laws that place certain villages under Bille District’s control.

The villages in dispute — Kwana II, Mararraban Bille, Tashan Gurgu, Dingle Kasa, and Kwabba — were legally allocated to Bille District in 1992 when it was created. However, Jerimond said they have never been officially handed over, despite several amendments to the law.

He alleged that tensions escalated on July 7 when youths from Dong District, dressed in black and armed with dangerous objects, marched through the contested villages performing rituals and chanting incantations. The act, according to him, was carried out under the guise of “border demarcation” but was seen as a provocation.

The Bille Youth Federation has made multiple appeals and written letters to relevant authorities, urging them to enforce the updated Adamawa State Districts Creation (Repeal and Re-Enactment) Law 2024, which affirms the villages as part of Bille District.

Jerimond called on the state House of Assembly and other government agencies to act swiftly, warning that inaction could lead to violence.

“We are simply asking for the law to be implemented to prevent further provocation and ensure peace between Bille and Dong,” he said.