A renewed effort has been launched by concerned Nigerians and foreign partners to check the frequent annual clashes and blood- letting between farmers and herders, which has claimed the lives of several citizens and resulted in the loss of properties worth millions of aira throughout the country.
Initiators of the peace campaign launched their renewed effort at tolerance through a 118-page book titled “the root causes of farmers, herders clashes in north central Nigeria,” written by Phangshak Musa Suchi and Salle Yaks Musa and sponsored by an international agency, Rosa Luxemburg Stiftung of Darkar, Senegal.
At the launch of the book which attracted a large circle of FCT residents, the book reviewer Oluyeri Nenadi Rahab said the authors painted a gloomy picture of large scale deaths and destruction of properties within mostly the seven north central states especially Benue, Nasarawa and Plateau due to the urge by assailants and victims to revenge any attacks on them.
According to the reviewer, the book simply scratched the problems of farmers, herders clashes on the surface although it provided opportunity for further research into the underlying causes of the conflict apart from pointing the way out of the problem.
“The root cause of the conflicts were identify end to be the same in every community although, there were some noticeable peculiarities in the result if the clashes.
“These include the destruction of farm crops by Fulani herders, rustling of cattle, intolerance, impatience, aggressiveness from booth sides, influx of foreign herders into the country and the marginalisation of Fulani herders in there political affairs of communities,” she said.
The book accordingly recommended that a concerted effort involving local, state and federal government agencies as well as civil society actors should be launched in every community to find lasting solutions to the farmers, herders clashes.
In an interview, Angela Odah, Programme Manager, Rosa Luxemburg Stiftung in Nigeria said the publication was sponsored to provide lasting solutions to the annual conflict caused by encroachment on grazing areas and to build confidence and trust between the warring ethnic groups and communities.
Mrs. Odah promised the continued support of the agency in sponsoring worthwhile initiatives that promote peace, unity and wellbeing of Nigerian citizens and the country.
