The Nation Newspaper

Tag: herdsmen

  • Save us from herdsmen

    This is an open letter to President Muhammadu Buhari, but you will permit me to begin without the requisite official protocol due to the fact that this necessitated by issues of urgent national importance; which is not unconnected with the threat issued by Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore to the peace loving people of Benue State.

    I write you today with a bleeding heart knowing full well that my life and that of my people is at the mercy of Fulani herdsmen.

    I will draw your attention to statements credited to the leadership of Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore, which has threatened our peaceful coexistence as a people and our major source of worry now is the privileged information we have that they are amassing at the Nigerian/Cameroon borders, both cows and militia, and in Nasarawa State at the borders with Benue, waiting for the right time to move into Benue and attack our people.

    Mr. President, We are deeply concerned that the alleged heightened preparations to invade Benue with large mass of cattle and militia is to truncate the impending take-off of the anti-open grazing law scheduled for November 1. We believe the plan is to make the law unenforceable if the authorities have no means to contain the influx of the cattle and herdsmen.

    Permit me to remind you of the followings:

    1. Sir, you came into office on the drum-beat of change.
    2. We exalted you without blemish, and invested in you, what I love to call “Messianic Investment” this I believe was what saw you through the many unsuccessful campaign attacks; ranging from dictatorial past, extremism, and certificate saga, among others. We created a meme and synopsized as “Even if Buhari present a NEPA bill as a certificate, we will still vote for him”.

    As an agent of change and a patriotic citizen of my noble country, I have been having sleepless nights, since May 22, 2017, that sunny day Governor Samuel Ortom assented to the “Benue State Open Grazing Prohibition and Ranches Establishment Law,2017”.

    Mr. President, between 2012 and 2016 alone, Benue State saw destruction of properties, farms and farm produce worth in excess of N95 billion due to crisis between herdsmen and farmers. This is besides thousands of lives that have been lost to the crisis over the years. Recall there have been series of bloodletting and destruction of lives and properties from crises largely caused by herders grazing on farms and cattle rustling over the years in the state.

    These destructions have adversely affected the economy of our state hence the need to contain incessant herdsmen/farmers clashes through the ban on open grazing.

    Schools, hospitals, bridges and other infrastructure were destroyed and several years after, no intervention even from the federal government to help the locals get their lives back.

    This anti open grazing prohibition law signed into law May 2017 in the state was to put a permanent end to the crisis.

    The governor also disclosed that already law abiding individuals have approached the state for land so they could ranch their cattle and other animals.

    Our governor has expressed commitment to provide necessary security and infrastructure support to all those willing to engage in ranching.

    Just recently the state assembly sent messages to relevant authorities to threats by the Fulani herdsmen. The assembly is worried by the silence of the President even at the point of the leadership of the Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore Cattle Association calling on him to call a sitting governor to order for wanting to implement a legally passed and duly signed law is more worrisome.

    I write to further join and add my voice with that of our governor, the state assembly and the good people of Benue to call for the immediate arrest of the leadership of Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore Cattle Rearers Association.

    Do the people of Benue see the silence of our president as a gang up or conspiracy against our people?

    Do we as a people see that Fulani are all out to exterminate we as a people and take over our land?

    May God bless Nigeria.

     

    • By Chir Msugh Iorwase Armstrong,

     Makurdi, Benue State.

  • Abia farmers raise alarm over invasion of farms by herdsmen

    FARMERS in villages around Umuahia, the Abia State capital, have decried the  incessant invasion of their farmlands by herdsmen in the state. Some of the farmers equally raised the alarm over their inability to repay the bank loans that they took from commercial banks in the state.   One of the farmers, Eze Philip Ajomiwe, during  a one day interactive session organised by the Commissioner of Police, Mr. Anthony Ogbizi, for traditional rulers and leaders of Hausa community in the state, lamented the loss of over 10 hecters of his cassava farm to the herdsmen’s  invasion. Ajomiwe noted that there was need for all the parties involved in the management of herdsmen/ farmers’ crisis to provide an urgent solution to it before it goes out of hand. According to him: “There is no village that is free from the invasion of herdsmen in the state. It may interest you to know that l lost more than 10 hectares of my cassava farm to the herdsmen’s activities.

    The local government and the DSS are aware of that, but up till now,  nothing has been done about that. “These herdsmen also come to our compounds at odd hours to the extent that our women are now afraid of going out at night because they might be raped. Two weeks ago,  there was a problem that ensued between the herdsmen and our people. We invited their leaders and the DPO who went round some communities including Afuguri, Ekeoba, Ofeme, Umuagu, Umudiaya and saw all that was destroyed.

    “The herdsmen have not paid any compensation for this loss suffered by our people. All the villages in Umuahia North were affected.” “Most of us are indebted to the banks to the tune of N10 million and they are on our necks to pay them. The insurance company said that the destruction on farms was intentional and that they cannot pay us for it.”   Other traditional rulers at the meeting, Eze Ibekamma Godfrey and Eze F. M Ikpeazu, condemned the use of under aged children who cannot speak English or Igbo for cattle grazing in the SouthEast. They noted that proper education for herdsmen on har monious relationship with their host community is the only solution to the incessant destruction.

    The leader of the Hausa/Fulani Community in the state, Sariki Alhaji Yaro Danlandi and the leader of the Mietti Allah, Alhaji Hassan Buba in their separate remarks urged the traditional rulers to report any incident between herdsmen and framers in the areas to their leadership in the state for amicable resolution. In his speech, the Commissioner of Police, urged the traditional rulers and the herdsmen to continue to live in peace adding  that a proper channel for payment of compensation should be created to pay back farmers whose crops were damaged by cows. He said: “We would con tinue to have regular interaction until the problems are solved. We want the Mietti Allah in the state to help us communicate all our decisions to the migrating herdsmen coming into the state. They must understand our stand on no night grazing and the need for them to be guided by the marshals because of changes in the routes”.

  • Herdsmen to Ortom: you can’t chase us out of Benue

    Herdsmen to Ortom: you can’t chase us out of Benue

    The Miyetti-Allah Kautal Hore Fulani Socio-cultural Association has challenged Benue State Governor Samuel Ortom that he has no right to chase its members from the state.

    This followed the ripples over the state’s  anti-grazing law.

    Its National President Alhaji Abdullahi Bodejo, said at the weekend in Abuja that the pastoralists had the same right as indigenes.

    Bodejo denied the governor’s allegation that he is planning to cause unrest.

    He said the association had no intention to cause chaos over the anti-open grazing law.

    Bodejo said: “Miyetti-Allah Kautal Hore is not a splinter of any group. This is a socio-cultural organisation and one can only be a Fulani man to be a member, unlike other associations related to cattle rearing and sale, which can accommodate anyone, once they are in cattle rearing or sale.

    “Governor Samuel Ortom asking pastoralists to leave Benue State cannot happen. We have a mandate to speak on behalf of our members and their right as Nigerians. How can a Nigerian ask other Nigerians to leave a place they are constitutionally entitled to be?”

    He decried the governor’s claim that the state lost N95 billion between 2012 and 2016.

    Describing the claim as untrue,  Bodejo noted that the pastoralists have always been at the receiving end of conflicts, especially with farmers.

    On the call for his arrest and  the National Secretary’s, Saleh Alhassan, he accused Ortom of using threat and blackmail, knowing he committed an illegality by trying to deny pastoralists their means of livelihood.

    “We are law-abiding and have always been championing peace and resolution of conflicts between pastoralists and farmers. The records are there. That was why we went to court,” Bodejo said.

    He queried the governor’s claim that the law is meant to protect farmers and herdsmen, stressing that there is no provision for the so-called ranches, except the intent to establish six detention centres, where seized or ‘arrested’ cattle will be kept and auctioned after seven days, thus legitimising cattle rustling.

    “The governor was also not specific on the fines for cattle rustling, unlike the specific penalties for pastoralists, who can be accused of open grazing,” he added.

    Bodejo, the Lamido Fulbe Nigeria, urged President Muhammadu Buhari to address the situation by calling Ortom to order.

  • No major crisis in Osun between herdsmen, farmers, says Aregbesola

    No major crisis in Osun between herdsmen, farmers, says Aregbesola

    Osun State Governor Rauf Aregbesola said yesterday that the relative peace between farmers and herdsmen in the state is due to the activities of the committee on peaceful co-existence between herdsmen and farmers he set up in 2014.

    Aregbesola spoke at the National Conference on the Transformation of Nigeria Livestock Industry at the International Conference Centre in Abuja.

    Accordin to him, ý his administration had successfully made agriculture a special vehicle to drive the economy of the state as an alternative to relying on oil revenue for development.

    Represented ýby Commissioner for Special Duties Mudashir Toogun, Aregbesola said the need to promote and enhance communal peace and progress among the citizenry informed the decision to constitute a committee on peaceful co-existence between Fulani/Bororo and crop farmers, an initiative which according to him made the state to have zero case of infractions between farmers and herders.

    Aregbesola said the committee’s mandate to mediate between the herdsmen and crop farmers whenever there was crisis.

    He said Osun is today regarded as a model of harmonious relationship between herdsmen and farmers because of the successes recorded by the peaceful coexistence and conflict reconciliatory committee.

    He said: “This committee was given the mandate to mediate between the herdsmen and crop farmers whenever there is crisis within the State of Osun.

    “This has contributed immensely to the relative peace being witnessed in the state and which has been attested to by local and international agencies such as UNDP and other states of the federation have been coming either directly or indirectly to replicate the committee in their various states.”

    “Over 5000 cases had been resolved amicably between the two parties with compensation paid to the affected farmers as unanimously agreed; this has greatly reduced the risks of conflicts and enhanced harmonious relationship among the citizens”, Aregbesola told the gathering.

    Speaking on the theme of the conference “Transformation of the Nigeria Livestock Industry”, Aregbesola described the conference as timely particularly when the focus is fully set on having a transition from oil dependence to other areas of the economy.

    He noted that his administration invested hugely in beef, piggery, fishery and poultry productions.

    “Our poultry production has been tremendously transformed through the Osun Broiler Outgrowers Production Scheme (OBOPS).”

  • Northern Elders Forum decries FG’s silence over herdsmen, farmers’ clashes

    Northern Elders Forum decries FG’s silence over herdsmen, farmers’ clashes

    •Seeks solution to growing agitation for restructuring

    The Northern Elders Forum (NEF) is not happy with the federal government for its alleged silence on intermittent clashes between herdsmen and farmers in different parts of the country.

    It blamed the federal government for failing to evolve a nationwide transition programme for herdsmen to embrace ranching as a solution to the persistent clashes.

    It therefore wants government to step in immediately and address the problem for peace to reign.

    The group, at an extraordinary session with Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue State in Markurdi, also advised government  to accept the socio-economic advocacy from southern Nigeria as a solution to the growing agitation for restructuring.

    The Southern Leaders Forum (SLF) at its last meeting in Lagos last week disagreed with President Muhammadu Buhari’s position on agitations for restructuring insisting that only restructuring will ensure the unity, peace and development of the country.

    Buhari in his last Monday’s national broadcast had said Nigeria’s unity is settled and non-negotiable.

    Emerging from the NEF’s session with Ortom yesterday, its spokesperson, Mr. Mustapha Wali, told reporters that the federal government “has failed in intervening in sorting out these matters nationwide, all you hear are conferences and seminars of academics but the practical applicable and interventionist stage as it is happening now, is what should have been the case.

    “Now that Benue has taken the bull by the horn as they say, we have to put a proposition for capital intensive possibilities for this transitional situations where the herdsmen are taught to ranch and to know that they are bitter times during transition and therefore, the federal government cannot avoid the responsibility of coming in to assist all the states and harmonize all these problems.

    “It is in this respect as the convener (Dr. Paul Unongo) has stated, that we now intend to set-up a special intervention committee for the purposes of intervening in these kinds of situations, the transitional and legal situations to ensure there are no problems that will arise which are fully avoidable”.

    Governor Ortom in an attempt to mobilize support for the open grazing prohibition and ranches establishment bill 2017, urged leaders in the region to speak up and find solution to the raging herdsmen/farmers conflict.

    He said: “Our leaders have chosen to keep quiet and it is something that is to me a keg of gun-powder and we need to arise to our responsibilities as leaders to check this problem, the problem of herdsmen and farmers.

    “Benue State in particular, was under siege since 2012, 13 local governments were completely displaced out of 23 local government, including my own local government.

    “While serving as minister, my ancestral home was attacked and destroyed and that day alone, 53 of my people were murdered in cold blood, my farm was razed and destroyed.”

  • Ebonyi wants justice for citizen killed by herdsmen in Ondo

    Ebonyi wants justice for citizen killed by herdsmen in Ondo

    Ebonyi State Government has urged security agencies to ensure that the killers of an indigene, Linus Ogbee, suspected to have been killed by Fulani Herdsmen in a farm settlement in Ondo state, are apprehended and prosecuted.

    Mr Ogbee, a 67 year old father of 7, was killed at the weekend in his farm at Ilion Camp, Igbatoro, and a farm settlement community in Akure North local government area of Ondo state.

    The State Governor, David Umahi stated this in Abakaliki, the state capital on Tuesday night shortly after inspecting projects in various parts of the state.

    He described the incident as height of barbarism and called for proper investigation into the circumstances surrounding the death of the Ebonyi farmer in Ondo State.

    While lamenting the wanton loss of lives and property as a result of the activities of the Herdsmen, Governor Umahi commended the police in Ondo state for quick intervention which led to arrest of some suspects in connection to the killing and called for proper investigation to bring the suspects to justice.

    “I call for full scale investigation into the circumstances surrounding the death of one of our brothers, Linus Ogbee who until his death was a father of seven and a farmer based in Ilion in Akure North council area of Ondo state.

    Those behind his death should be finished out and brought to justice. It is very heartbreaking that our brother was killed by suspected blood sucking herdsmen whose sanctity for human life amount to nothing”

    Umahi condoled with the family of the deceased and promised to help them in any possible way to stand, adding that he would do everything within his powers to ensure that justice is done and those behind the dastardly act brought to book while reassuring the people of the state of his administration’s commitment towards protecting lives and property of every citizen.

    He further used the occasion to reiterate his earlier call on various segments of Ebonyi indigenes in various parts of the country who are not meaningfully or gainfully employed to return home and be part of his agricultural revolution in which farmers are given grants to go into full farming.

    “While we mourn the death of our fellow compatriot, let me reassure Ebonyians that this administration is committed to all campaign promises of bringing back our people especially youths hawking in various cities and taking them out of the streets and make them become part of the progress of our dear state through the empowerment scheme which would enable them go into any business of their choice”.

  • Emir cautions herdsmen against grazing on farmlands 

    Emir cautions herdsmen against grazing on farmlands 

    The Emir of Wamba in Nasarawa State, Alhaji Lawal Musa-Nagogo, has cautioned herdsmen against grazing on farmlands to avoid clashes with farmers.

    Musa-Nagogo made the call on Tuesday while addressing his subjects that paid him Sallah homage in his palace at Wamba, Wamba Local Government Area of the state.

    He said the measure would promote peace and boost food production in the country.

    The first class traditional ruler equally called on farmers not to take the law in to their hands no matter the damages done to their crops, but report their grievances to the appropriate authority for necessary action.

    “Without peaceful co-existence between the farmers and the herdsmen, agricultural production and the socio-economic development of the country will be affected negatively, hence the need for both of them to embrace one another,’’ he said.

    Musa-Nagogo noted that no society can develop in an atmosphere of rancour and confusion, hence the need for herdsmen not to graze on farmlands.

    He urged the Muslim faithful to sustain the lessons learned during the Ramadan by preaching and promoting peace, love and unity, and to pray and support leaders at all levels to enable them succeed in the task ahead of them.

    Also speaking, Alhaji Musa Shuaibu-Wayo, the Chairman, Interim Management Committee of Wamba Local Government Council, urged Nigerians to continue to be their brothers’ keeper in the interest of national development.

    “Eid-el-fitr is not only for merry making, but a time to emulate what Prophet Muhammad (SWA) was sent by Almighty God to come and do.
    “Prophet Muhammad preaches peace, love and unity and as true followers of Islam we supposed to emulate him so that we can enjoy the blessings of God Almighty here and in the hereafter.

    “We must maintain our God-fearing acts which we exhibited during the fasting period by sustaining the lessons and change of attitude learnt during the Ramadan fast,” he said.

    Shuaibu-Wayo also urged wealthy individual to assist less privileged individuals in the society in order to give them a sense of belonging and improve on their standard of living.

    The chairman also appealed to Nigerians to continue to pray for President Muhammadu Buhari, Gov. Tanko Al-Makura and other leaders to enable them succeed in providing good governance.

    Alhaji Rilyanu Lamus, the Santuraki Wamba, also enjoined Muslims to sustain the lessons of the Ramadan and to live in peace, unity and tolerate one another irrespective of ethnic, religious and political affiliation.

    Lamus, who is the state Auditor General, assured the Wamba Emirate Council of his loyalty and positive contribution to the development of the area and the state at large.

     

  • Sultan to govt: probe sources of herdsmen’s weapons

    Sultan to govt: probe sources of herdsmen’s weapons

    The Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Saad Abubakar, has advised the Federal Government to probe the sources of weapons used by herdsmen accused of attacking Nigerian communities.

    Sultan Abubakar’s advice is contained in his Eid-el Fitr message delivered yesterday in Sokoto.

    “Real herdsmen do not carry guns; they only move with their cows and sticks.

    “There could be bad eggs among the Fulani, but those carrying arms and perpetrating heinous killings are not herdsmen.

    “Those carrying arms are criminals and should be treated as such.

    “Government should probe the sources of these weapons and take appropriate action so as to minimise these attacks,” he said.

    The Sultan praised the government’s measures aimed at combating insurgency in the North-east, and cautioned against complacency as the problem was not over.

    He urged Nigerians to complement the efforts of the security agencies toward securing the country, pointing out that security is a collective responsibility.

    He praised efforts by the Federal and Sokoto State governments to restore the glory of the educational and agricultural sectors, and called on Nigerians to support such efforts.

    The Sultan urged Muslims to reflect on, and uphold the virtues of the Ramadan fast, including patience, perseverance and brotherliness

    Emir of Kano Alhaji Muhammadu Sanusi II called on Nigerians to live in peace with one another.

    Sanusi spoke after he led the Eid prayers at the Kofar Mata Central Eid Ground in Kano.

    He said that there was the need for Nigerians to ensure peaceful co-existence so as to ensure economic growth.

    According to him, no society or country can achieve any development or greatness in an atmosphere of chaos and mistrust.

    Sanusi called on ‘well-to-do’ Muslims to support the less-privileged to alleviate their suffering.

    “I want to use this occasion to call on wealthy individuals to continue to support the poor so as to alleviate their suffering in the society,’’ he said.

    The monarch also urged Muslims to have the fear of God in all their activities, adding that “we all have to give account of our deeds one day to our creator”.

    The prayer was attended by Governor Abdullahi Ganduje and Deputy Governor Hafiz Abubakar, among other dignitaries.

  • Farmer killed as policemen, herdsmen exchange gunfire near Falae’s farm

    Suspected herdsmen have again struck near the farm of a former Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Chief Olu Falae.

    The suspects were reportedly searching for their strayed cows, which led to an alleged exchange of gunfire.

    Armed policemen were said to have been drafted to the farm of the elder statesman.

    It was learnt that a farmer was killed near Falae’s farm at Kajola in Igbatoro, near Akure, the Ondo State capital.

    The deceased, identified as Linus Ogheh from Ebonyi State, resided at Ileyo Camp, an agrarian community near Igbatoro in Akure North Local Government Area.

    Ogheh, according to sources, went to his farm to collect cocoyam for planting but was allegedly attacked and killed on the farm.

    Residents of various camps around Igbatoro, who are mostly non-indigenes, had reportedly been fleeing for fear of herdsmen’s attack.

    It was learnt that the killing of Ogheh, a father of seven, triggered a protest among non-indigenous farmers in the area.

    They reportedly protested with their wives, children and other residents.

    The protesters, who brandished green leaves and placards with various inscriptions, condemned grazing on their farms and the attendant damage to their crops.

    Addressing reporters, the traditional head of Ileyo Igbatoro Camp, Chief Ogunleye Taiwo, said 95 per cent of those living in the area were non-indigenes, comprising Igbo, Agatu, Ebira and Langtang farmers.

    He said: “This man, who was killed, had been living here for over 30 years. Chief Falae’s farm is close to us here. Our people cannot go to their farms because of the fear that the herdsmen would attack them.

    “This is the time we should be spraying our cocoa farms with chemicals, but we cannot go to the farms. This area is the food basket of Akure, the state capital, but cattle enter our farms without restrain. We are tired of the menace of the herdsmen.

    “The youths in the area wanted to confront the herdsmen but we have been restraining them because we know what that can cause.”

    The President of Coalition of Non-Indigenes Associations and Chairman Agatu Farmers Association, Vincent Adonyi said the menace of the herdsmen would worsen food production and security, if not checked.

    He said: “This is June. We do not have sufficient maize. The cassava is not there and other food crops we used to plant are not there because people are scared of going to their farms.

    “Herdsmen drove some of us away from Benue and Plateau states. Now that we are here, the herdsmen have come again. This is disturbing and should be of concern to the government.”

    Adonyi urged the state government to empower security agencies to deal with the situation and avoid worsening the food crisis in the country.

    The farmer said the police removed the body of the deceased and deposited it at the mortuary.

    Police spokesman Femi Joseph, a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), confirmed the death of the farmer.

    He said it would be hasty to conclude on what or who killed the farmer.

    Joseph added that an autopsy and investigation would reveal the cause of his death.

  • Farmers/herdsmen clash: monarch calls for truce

    The Emir of Gombe, Alhaji Abubakar Shehu, has appealed to farmers and herdsmen to sheath their swords and embrace peace.

    The emir made the call in Gombe yesterday during the Eid-el-fitr Durbar at his palace.

    He said: “Farmers should not take laws into their hands when their crops are destroyed by cattle. I am also appealing to the security personnel to do justice in their judgment and not to take sides.”

    The monarch said there were indications of a good farming season and, therefore, called on farmers to plant in time to have a bountiful harvest.

    He appealed to the public to be patient over the hardship in the country, with hope that things will get better.

    He appealed to both Muslims and Christian faithful to imbibe the teaching of Ramadan, which is peace.