Kalu: Farmers-Herders’ Clashes Claimed about 60,000 People Since 2001
Adedayo Akinwale in Abuja
The Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Ben Kalu, yesterday, said clashes between farmers and herders in the country have claimed about 60,000 lives since 2001.
Kalu, stated this in Abuja, at the inauguration of the Ad hoc committee to interface with stakeholders with a view to finding lasting solution to recurring clashes between farmers and herders in Yemaltu-Deba and neighboring local government areas, including other regions of the country with similar incidents.
He said the task before the committee was critical and of utmost national importance as it directly affects both national and food security.
The deputy speaker stressed that given its implications for the collective good of the nation, the House resolved to take a critical look into the causes, nature, dimensions, actors, impact, and possible solution to this nagging national challenge.
According to him, “these conflicts have escalated in recent years and it is quite consequential to our national security. What is even more concerning is the appropriation of these conflicts by terror groups, bandits and international criminal organisations.”
Kalu pointed out that this has had severe consequences including the restriction of farmers from access to their farmlands, leading to food price inflation, a high cost of living, unemployment, and loss of foreign earnings that would have accrued through the agricultural sector.
He noted that it was therefore a grave concern that the otherwise multi-billion-dollar livestock industry was mired with crisis and security challenges.
Kalu added: “What is clear from the foregoing is that we are not only dealing with a national security problem but also a food security challenge. Indeed, the two reinforce themselves. No doubt, these conflicts are in part triggered by the global environmental challenge of climate change.
“In the past, these clashes were viewed as mere communal clashes arising from disputes over farming land, grazing spaces, and water, which were largely confined to northern Nigeria.
“However, the clashes have long escalated and spread to other parts of the country, taking on political and ethno-religious dimensions. It ought not to be so.
“In addition, there are claims of violent herders infiltrating our borders from neighboring countries and perpetuating killings, cattle rustling, and destruction of property.
“The clashes have resulted in avoidable losses of lives and property. It is estimated that over 60,000 people have been killed since 2001. It ought not to be so.”
Kalu stressed that the number of deaths, injuries, and kidnapped persons constitutes an alarming situation and poses a serious national security challenge for Nigeria’s quest to attain food security and alternative foreign earnings from the agricultural sector.
Earlier, the Chairman of the Adhoc committee, Hon. Aliyu Misau, said the issues faced by farmers and herders have reached a critical juncture, demanding immediate attention and collaborative efforts to find sustainable solution.
He explained that the mandate of the committee was not just merely to study the long standing tension between farmers and herders which has escalated, leading to conflicts over land and resources, competition for grazing areas and water sources which has resulted in violence and loss of lives and property on both sides.
Misau stated: “These conflicts not only disrupt rural communities but also have broader socio economic and political implications in the nation.
“Our primary objective is to bridge the divide and foster improved understanding among farmers and herders taking into cognisance the unique challenges faced by the groups by promoting dialogue, building trust and creating an environment where mutual respect and shared prosperity can thrive.”
The chairman said to address the root cause of the challenge, there was a need for a multifaceted approach that integrates the efforts of governments, private sector, civil society organisations.
