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Herder-farmers conflict: Embracing the Ganduje, Abounu solution | By Oludayo Tade
Fielding questions from journalists in Katsina, recently, the Kano State governor, Abdullahi Ganduje, disclosed that his administration has been able to stem the tide of banditry by establishing a ranching culture in the state.
He said, “We are building a RUGA settlement in Samsosua forest, our border with Katsina, and we have succeeded in curtailing the effect of banditry in that area. So, we are building many houses, constructing a dam, establishing a cattle artificial insemination centre. We are establishing a veterinary clinic and already, we have started building houses for herdsmen.”
Ganduje advocated for the abolishment of nomadic herding which features the transportation or trekking of herdsmen from the north to the middle belt and southern part of Nigeria.
“There should be a law that will ban it, otherwise, we cannot control the conflicts between herdsmen and farmers and cannot control the cattle rustling which are affecting us greatly,” he said.
For Benue state deputy governor, Benson Abounu, Ganduje’s advocacy is worth embracing, adding that having seen it all, Ganduje, who was once a cattle rearer, is highly informed about the situation, and his recommendation of a law prohibiting nomadic grazing should be given a chance to bear fruits across the country.
There is no gainsaying Olayiwola Adeleke, the Chairman of the Igana Local Council Development Area (LCDA) and his constituency appreciates in no small measure, Governor Ganduje’s intervention and suggestions concerning the herdsmen-farmers conflict.
Not even Adeleke’s position as the chief security officer of Igana could earn him respect of preferential treatment when Fulani kidnappers accosted his vehicle and pounced on him. The beating he endured and humiliation he suffered in the hands of his assailants are better imagined.
According to him, “All of a sudden, we heard gun shots. These people came out from the bush with guns in their hands. They ordered us to open the door. They began to slap me and my driver, they beat us mercilessly. They were even shooting to scare people away. They are young boys. They are Fulani indigenes. They spoke Fulani language.”
On the heels of Adeleke’s travail, the chairman of the Ibarapa Northwest Local Government Area (LGA), Daniel Okediji, explained that the insecurity rocking Ibarapa metamorphosed from highway robbery to kidnapping.
He said, “Initially it was the case of Fulani herders attacking the farmers on their farms; when they destroy the farm, farmers would want to react but instead of them (fulani) pleading, some of them will start attacking the farmers with machetes.”
According to the International Crisis Group (ICG), escalated conflicts between farming communities and criminal herders are six times deadlier than Boko Haram Insurgency because of the number of civilian casualties.
Between 2010 and 2015, 850 violent clashes were recorded between farmers and herders in the middle belt region claiming the lives of 6,500 people and displacing 62, 000. In 2016 alone, ICG recorded 2,500 deaths arising from these violent clashes majority of the victims were from Benue and Kaduna and other southern States.
From 2018 when the crisis took a new dimension, an estimated 300,000 peoples have reportedly fled their homelands. As farmers flee their communities, criminal herders acquire their lands and settle.
Victims of kidnapping have also confirmed the identities of their abductors to be of Fulani extraction. Similar experiences of ‘terror’ by people of Ibarapa and Oke-Ogun led to the eviction of the Seriki of Fulani from the Igangan community in Oyo State, for allegedly aiding and abetting criminal Fulani herders and mediating payments of ransom to Fulani kidnappers.
The community claimed to have paid over N50million and lost over 15 people with many still nursing gunshot and machete wounds. Those who were kidnapped are still battling post-traumatic stress disorder. Many of their victims are female farmers, who were reportedly raped, while some have died in the process.
According to the Chairman of the Ibarapa Northwest, Okediji, “In one week, three persons were kidnapped. They collected N2million on the first victim, N3.5million on the second and N7.5million on the third.”
Sunday Oyebisi is another victim of farm plundering and violent attacks by Fulani herders. Oyebisi, who owned 30 acres of a cashew farm, suffered a raw deal in the hands of his assailants.
He said, “They will just drive the owner of the farm away and eat up (plunder) the farm. They have destroyed my 30-acre cashew farm and I reported to the police at Ayete but when Seriki Fulani got there, nothing was done to the case.”
The response of the State is rather slow and downplays the magnitude of the impending danger. The federal government, like some states preaches peaceful living without serving justice to the victims, many of whom accuse the federal government of pampering criminal herders thus emboldening other transnational criminal gangs of Fulani extraction to compromise national security and threaten food security.
The recent hike in food products is not unconnected with the insecurity being experienced by traders and the displacement of farmers from their homelands by Fulani herders. The food blockage from northern to southern Nigeria and the consequences of that action is also instructive, emphasising an urgent need for improved protection for farmers in order to guarantee food security and sustainability.
Adewale Moses, another victim of Fulani herders’ violence, said: “We can’t farm without anticipating attacks. One cannot send women to farm without them being raped.” May be this is why, James Olagbenro a traditional ruler in the affected area of Ibarapa maintained that the Fulani needs to leave the community for them to enjoy peace. This is by no means ethnic profiling. The association of criminal Fulani herdsmen with rape, farm plundering and kidnapping in southern Nigeria derives from the data extracted from victims of these crimes.
Unchecked invasion of farming communities and their displacement may create graver troubles for Nigeria. When farmers are chased off farms by Fulani herders and nothing is done to arrest them, the implication is that Nigeria cannot meet at least five of the Sustainable Development Goals and will not be able to feed her people. These are ‘no poverty,’ zero hunger, reducing inequality, sustainable cities and communities, peace, justice and strong institutions.
To resolve the conflict, experts have called for better management of the country’s security and intelligence system. There are increased calls for justice in dealing with reports and arrests of criminal herders.
Porous borders must be manned and movement of transnational herders controlled. In the southwest for instance, open grazing, child grazing among others have been banned in the wake of outrage and riots in Igangan and Shasha, in Oyo State.
While northern governors explore practical initiatives like Ganduje’s RUGA settlement, Fulani herders have been urged to conduct their activities in line with the laws of their respective states.
Nigeria may also take a cue from Tanzania where government is tackling the conflict between peasant farmers and pastoralist communities by making land available for private commercial interests.
Dr Tade, sociologist and media expert sent this piece via dotad2003@yahoo.com
The lawmaker representing Ibarapa East/Ido Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, Engr. Aderemi Oseni, has mourned the death of a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Oyo State and former member of the Oyo State House of Assembly, Hon. Akeem Abimbola Oladipupo, popularly known as Able, describing his demise as a painful loss to the progressive family.
Oladipupo, who represented Ibadan North-West Constituency in the Oyo State House of Assembly, was widely regarded as a grassroots politician and committed party loyalist until his passing.
Oseni, who is also the Chairman, House Committee on Federal Roads Maintenance Agency and the APC candidate for Oyo South Senatorial District, said the late politician’s death had created a vacuum within the party and among those who benefitted from his unwavering commitment to public service.
In a condolence statement issued on Monday by his Media Aide, Idowu Ayodele, and made available to journalists in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, the federal lawmaker described the late Oladipupo as a dependable progressive, humble political actor and loyal party stalwart whose impact would remain indelible.
He said the deceased dedicated his life to serving humanity, strengthening the progressive movement and supporting the aspirations of many at the grassroots.
Oseni said, “The death of Hon. Akeem Abimbola Oladipupo (Able) came to me as a rude shock. Oyo State and the progressive family have indeed lost a committed, loyal and selfless leader whose passion for service, humility and dedication to the people stood him out.
“He was not just a politician but a bridge-builder, a dependable ally and a grassroots mobiliser who believed strongly in the ideals of our great party. His contributions to the growth of the APC in Oyo State and his service to humanity will remain unforgettable.”
The APC senatorial candidate noted that the late former lawmaker remained steadfast in promoting peace, unity and political development, adding that his simplicity and accessibility endeared him to many across political divides.
According to Oseni, the late politician’s legacy of service and sacrifice would continue to inspire younger politicians and party faithful.
He, however, urged members of the APC, associates and family members of the deceased to take solace in the remarkable life he lived and the positive impact he made during his lifetime.
Oseni also prayed for the repose of the deceased’s soul and for God to grant his family the fortitude to bear the painful loss.
President Bola Tinubu on Monday assured residents of Oyo State that ongoing efforts to rescue abducted pupils and teachers in Oriire Local Government Area would be intelligence-driven, coordinated and sustained.
The President said the Federal Government would deploy every lawful means, including kinetic and non-kinetic measures, to ensure the safe return of the victims abducted during the May 15, 2026 attack in Esiele and Yawota communities.
“Our rescue efforts will be intelligence-led, careful, coordinated, and sustained. We will deploy every lawful tool available, both kinetic and non-kinetic, to ensure our children and teachers are safely returned home,” Tinubu stated in a statement posted on his X handle on Monday.
The President also expressed sorrow over the killing of a school teacher during the abduction and extended condolences to his wife, Mrs Mary Oyedokun, and the bereaved family.
“I also extend my deepest condolences to Mrs Mary Oyedokun, the wife of the late school teacher and her family. Their sacrifice will not be forgotten, and his family will not be abandoned,” he said.
Tinubu stressed that children should never be exposed to the trauma of abduction, noting that no parent should endure the pain associated with such incidents.
“No child should be taken from the safety of a classroom. No parent should have to endure this anguish,” the President added.
He assured affected communities that efforts to secure the release of the abducted pupils and teachers would remain sustained and intelligence-driven.
The statement comes amid growing concerns over insecurity in schools and rural communities following the abduction, which prompted the Federal Government to dispatch a high-powered delegation to the affected communities in Oriire Local Government Area.
The delegation included the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila; the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu; the Minister of Defence; and the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, alongside other senior government and security officials.
Tinubu further disclosed that he had approved additional security measures, including the deployment of a specialised security unit equipped with advanced rescue capabilities to intensify efforts towards the safe return of the victims.
“I have also directed the deployment of a specialised security unit with advanced rescue capabilities to intensify efforts to secure the safe return of the abducted pupils and teachers,” he stated.
The President also revealed that the Federal Government, in collaboration with the Oyo State Government, was mobilising 1,000 forest guards to improve surveillance in forest corridors frequently exploited by criminal elements.
According to him, the initiative would be complemented by broader operational measures aimed at strengthening rescue operations and preventing future attacks.
Tinubu added that a request for the establishment of a military base in the affected area was receiving urgent consideration as part of efforts to bolster security.
Authorities have continued rescue operations amid rising concerns over the safety of schools and rural settlements, insisting that efforts remain focused on securing the release of the abducted victims and preventing a recurrence.
The Imo State Police Command has arrested three students of the Federal University of Technology, Owerri (FUTO), over the alleged killing of a 21-year-old undergraduate, Chinedu Chibuzor Christogonus, following accusations that he stole N13,500.
The victim, a 100-level Cyber Security student and member of the university’s Man O’ War organisation, reportedly died after he was allegedly assaulted by fellow members of the group.
The command’s spokesperson, DSP Henry Okoye, disclosed this in a statement, saying preliminary investigations revealed that the deceased was allegedly restrained and severely assaulted, resulting in fatal injuries.
According to the police, the suspects are Chukwuemeka Benedict, 21; Kelechi Gospel Ikenna, 24; and Obioma Anastasia, 21, all 500-level students of the institution.
Okoye said the victim was rushed to the Federal Medical Centre, Owerri, after the incident but was confirmed dead by medical personnel.
He said, “Preliminary investigation reveals that the deceased, a 100-level student of Cyber Security and a member of the Man O’ War organisation in FUTO, was allegedly subjected to severe assault by some members of the organisation following an accusation of theft involving the sum of N13,500.
“Initial findings indicate that the deceased was allegedly restrained and assaulted, resulting in critical injuries.
He was subsequently rushed to the Federal Medical Centre, Owerri, where he was confirmed dead by medical personnel.”
The police spokesman disclosed that the arrests were made on the directive of the Commissioner of Police in the state, Audu Garba Bosso, shortly after the incident was reported.
He added that relevant evidence had been recovered, while the victim’s remains had been deposited in a morgue pending autopsy.
Okoye further stated that the commissioner had ordered the immediate transfer of the case to the State Criminal Investigation Department in Owerri for a comprehensive investigation.
Bosso, according to the statement, directed investigators to identify and question all persons linked to the incident, warning that anyone found culpable would face prosecution.
The police commissioner assured the deceased’s family, the university community and residents of a thorough and professional investigation, insisting that no suspect would be shielded regardless of status.
He urged residents to remain calm while investigations continue, reiterating the command’s commitment to ensuring justice for the deceased.
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