RECURRING conflicts between herdsmen and their host communities have over the years led to the loss of several lives and property across the country.

One of such clashes in recent times was the raiding of four villages: Demsare, Wunamokoh, Dikajam and Taboungo in Adamawa State by suspected herdsmen in what is believed to be a vengeance mission over an existing feud with farmers in the communities.

Killed in the attack was the Divisional Police Officer, DPO, in charge of Vunokilang Police Station in Girei Local Council of Adamawa State, who was killed alongside 30 other people in an attack by suspected herdsmen. Several houses and other property in the communities were also burnt in the attack.

The DPO, Okozie Okereofor, a Chief Superintendent of Police who was deployed to the state about two months ago, was said to have been ambushed when he was leading police officers to the disputed communities. He was killed in the eventual shootout with his assailants.

Before the incident, clashes between the herdsmen and farmers have remained a recurring decimal in the country. Before now, such clashes usually break out in the North-Central and North-East regions, but in recent times it has spread to the South East, South South and South West geopolitical zones of the country.

On September 21 last year, former Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) and Yoruba elder, Chief Olu Falae, was kidnapped by some suspected herdsmen, which brought about tension in the land. It was a development that also prompted the Yoruba socio-cultural organisation, Afenifere, to call for the immediate release of the elder statesman, while giving ultimatum to the herdsmen in the South West to vacate the region.

As part of its response to the problem, the Federal Government had on March 24, last year constituted a committee with the mandate to come up with additional grazing reserves around the country in addition to the existing 415.

The former Minister of Agriculture, Mr. Adewunmi Adesina, said that government was coming up with measures including the deployment of satellite imagery and Geographical Information System (GIS) maps to track the movement of animals across the country.

The former minister also cited examples of countries like Brazil, Spain, Argentina and Australia that supply Saudi Arabia with Halal beef. He indicated that the beef market grew from 626 billion dollars in 2011 to 2.3 trillion dollars in 2013 and none of the West African countries is benefiting from such.

However, successive governments appeared to have paid lip service in their approach towards curbing the menace. Immediate and remote causes of the incessant clashes have not been boldly established by the successive governments due to what many considered as the delicate nature of the matter.

Former President Goodluck Jonathan’s government had discussed the issue of grazing reserves to a large extent before he left office.

In line with his predecessor’s approach in tackling the menace, President Muhammadu Buhari said in Abuja recently that poverty, injustice and the lack of job opportunities were mainly responsible for inter-communal and intra-communal conflicts in Nigeria.

Speaking while receiving a delegation from the Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue, an organization active in the promotion of peace in Nigeria, President Buhari said to achieve enduring peace in the country, greater effort must be made to eradicate poverty and injustice.

The president described ethnic and religious conflicts in parts of the country as outward manifestations of underlying problems of joblessness, injustice and poverty.

On conflicts between farmers and herdsmen, President Buhari said that a plan to map out grazing areas will soon be presented to the Nigerian Governors Forum (NGF) as a temporary solution to the frequent conflicts until cattle owners are persuaded to adopt other means of rearing their cattle.

Also recently, Fulani herdsmen and farmers in Benue and Nassarawa states signed a ceasefire agreement. The event was facilitated and witnessed by the governor of Nassarawa State, Alhaji Tanko Al-Makura, his Benue State counterpart, Dr. Sam Ortom and the security chiefs. It would be recalled that several ceasefire agreements had been signed by the herdsmen and farmers in the states without any meaningful results.

Buhari’s government may have chosen the option of establishing grazing reserves, but some people have argued that they would use the entire land for cultivation of crops notwithstanding. Some have suggested that what the present government should do to douse tension between the herdsmen and farmers is to stop the herdsmen from migrating from one place to another.

Others are of the opinion that the establishment of grazing reserves may involve the payment of compensation for acquired lands, with the reasoning that keeping of animals should be seen as part of farming.

There is no doubt that just like the previous governments, the incessant clash between herdsmen and their host communities across the country appears to be a major security challenge being faced by President Buhari’s government.
His government’s success or failure in tackling it would be determined by approach, commitment and positive outcome.