On February 2, 2021, when farmer Dayo Festus arrived at his farm in Ajowa-Akoko, Ondo State, southwestern Nigeria, he came across herders’ cattle on his land. They had invaded them and destroyed their crops. Festus and the shepherds got into a heated dispute that ended in a physical combat in which the farmer lost his life. According to the mother of the deceased, who identifies herself simply as Janet and is 71 years old, the lifeless body of her son was found covered in blood and with machete cuts.
“I still cry every morning. He was the breadwinner of the family. He leaves two wives and seven children who are struggling to survive after her death,” says Janet, whose crops were also partially destroyed by cattle recently. Olatunde Adeolu, a friend of the deceased farmer, explains that he also left his land in the area for fear of herdsmen seeking land and water for his livestock. “They cut my cassavas to give them to their cows. If I confront them, they threaten to kill me. After my friend died, I abandoned the farm. “I don’t want them to kill me, for my children,” he said.
According to International Amnesty, between 2016 and 2018, at least 3,641 lives were lost as a result of clashes between farmers and herders in Nigeria. More than half of these fatalities were recorded in 2018 alone. At least 300,000 people were displaced for the same reason during that period. There are no more recent figures to illustrate this phenomenon, which greatly worries farmers and local authorities. The clashes, displaced people and even the fatalities are not part of any official statistics because some of the affected families, some of them interviewed by this newspaper, do not have access to the press and much less to a police station.
In recent years, drought and desertification have caused the loss of vegetation and dwindling water resources in northern Nigeria, forcing nomadic pastoralists to migrate to the south of the country in search of water and food to their animals. Once In the southincreasing urbanization leads them to enter cultivated lands and this causes numerous confrontations with farmers.
“They cut my cassavas to give them to their cows. If I confront them, they threaten to kill me.”
Olatunde Adeolu, Nigerian farmer
In 2019, the Nigerian Government announced a program to create settlements for herders in all States and also launched a 10-year National Livestock Transformation Plan to reduce livestock movement, boost production and tackle the crisis. However, the problem persists due to the authorities’ inability to ensure security or mediate these conflicts.
After the death of Festus and many others, the 17 governors of southern Nigeria decided to ban free grazing in their States. Despite this, attacks and counterattacks have continued to drive farmers from their lands. “It’s been a long time since we slept with both eyes closed,” summarizes Ezekiel Dahunsi, a retired bishop from the region. “Most women are afraid to go to farms because they are sometimes raped by herders when they try to stop animals from eating their crops. I receive many complaints every day,” he explains.
self-defense groups
When this newspaper went to the community to carry out this report, it did not see police officers or a police station. While the United Nations recommends one police officer for every 450 people for effective policing, Nigeria’s population, estimated at nearly 225 million in 2023, would need about 460,000 officers to adequately police the nation, but it has fewer than 400,000. . The spokesperson of the Ondo State Police Command, Funmilayo Odunlami, has promised to deploy officers to the area. “The community is vulnerable to attacks and efforts are being made to have more security operations as soon as possible to safeguard lives and property,” the official told this newspaper.
According to Amnesty International, at least 3,641 lives were lost between 2016 and 2018 as a result of clashes between farmers and herders in Nigeria.
Meanwhile, six regions in the southwest of the country have promoted the creation of a security body known by the name Amotekun. Its objective is to reduce these confrontations and the crimes that are allegedly committed by groups linked to the herders, but for now the figures of violence and crimes persist.
In December 2022, Jimoh Omoola, a traditional leader in Ajowa region, Ondo State, who had always insisted on imposing heavy fines on herdsmen whose animals destroyed croplands, was kidnapped from his residence. The man, a sort of local monarch, had been accused of showing intolerance toward livestock owners and defending farmers who complained about attacks.
His wife, Oluyemisi, recalls that the kidnappers, whom she identifies as nomadic herdsmen, “shot into the palace” and accused the perpetrator of forcing them to pay fines every time their livestock destroyed farmland. “They beat him and took him to the forest, where he spent almost a month until a ransom of around 7,500 euros was paid for his release,” she explains. Almost a year has passed since the incident, but the monarch is still recovering from the injuries suffered.
After the traditional leader was kidnapped, the leaders of this community also created a surveillance group of 50 men to fill the gap left by the police and ensure security on the farms. “The kidnapping was a shame, so we had to create an independent self-defense unit,” explains Bishop Dahunsi.
The leader of a group of herders who lives in the area and who identifies himself as Yellow blames the attacks on foreigners who cross the borders with weapons and often flee to other areas with their livestock after committing crimes. This man assured this newspaper that he is committed to ensuring that local shepherds respect order and that their livestock do not destroy crops. “We have already started conversations with the pastors who are under our supervision. They must learn to live in harmony with their hosts and we will work with traditional leaders to ensure peaceful coexistence,” he promises.
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