Stakeholders in the farmers-herders conflict mitigation in Taraba State have sought for the re-identification of grazing reserves and cattle routes.
State Chairman of Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria, MACBAN, Alhaji Ibrahim Barewa made the plea yesterday at a stakeholders engagement/town hall meeting organised by the National Orientation Agency, NOA.
The meeting focused on the pathway to national cohesion, development and unity to combat insurgency, banditry, extremism, youth restiveness and herders-farmers conflict.
Barewa expressed concern that human activities led to the encroachment on grazing routes and reserves which were hitherto established since precolonial era.
Alhaji Barewa said such had brought a tremendous challenge to herders, who found it difficult to even move from one location to the other.
He also encouraged security agencies to check the movement of arms, arrest and prosecute herders carrying weapons to forment trouble.
He however, noted that politicians are taking advantage of the bad eggs among the herders to cause crisis.
Taraba State Chairman of All Farmers Association of Nigeria, AFAN, Alhaji Salisu Kumba, called on the state government to preserve grazing reserves and cattle routes, as measures to restore peaceful coexistence between farmers and herders.
Kumba noted that both farmers and herders are peaceful and not trouble makers, identifying politicians as those fueling conflicts between them.
He called on the state government to establish the herders -farmers commission, which would be saddled with the responsibility of mediating in their conflicts.
Director of Livestock Services, Taraba Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, Mr Mahmoud Abdullahi, noted that the state had nine gazzated grazing reserves.
He noted that due to lack of patronage on the grazing reserves and increase in population and human activities, the routes were tempered with.
He, however, said the ministry is working towards the re-identification of those grazing reserves and cattle routes.
He also identified drug addiction amongst young herders as one of the factors leading them to go violent against farmers.
He gave assurance that the state government is doing everything possible to prevent future conflicts between the two groups.
Earlier, the State Director of NOA, Mr Zakari Muhammad, said the nation is grappling with numerous security challenges that threaten the peace, stability and development of the nation.
Muhammad added that each region has its unique security challenge ranging from extremism and banditry to kidnapping, cattle rustling, herders- farmers clashes and agitations for secession.
He said the agency, having recognised the urgent need for a comprehensive strategy to promote national unity and ensure development accross the country, proposed the pathway to national cohesion.
He noted that the initiative was aimed at addressing the specific challenges faced by different zones and states in Nigeria by tailoring the campaign to the peculiar needs of each region.
Representatives of security agencies, religious leaders, women and youth groups attended the meeting.
