How Nigeria’s farmer-herder conflict destroys lives

Locals recount losses and how they have remained resilient amid the worsening farmer-herder conflict.

Those caught in the crosshairs of the decades-old herder-farmer conflict in Benue state, central Nigeria, often have their lives upended. Augustine Ikwulono, a victim of the conflict, bears the weight for years. After sustaining a bullet injury, he struggles to muster the strength to provide for his family’s needs. Ikwulono was shot during an attack on his village, Imana Ikobi, in Apa local government.

The tranquillity of his once-happy homestead was shattered when men dressed in army camouflage and carrying ‘sophisticated weapons’ attacked him and destroyed his house. They also stole yam and other crops from his farm. The men who attacked him were alleged members of a Fulani herders' militia.

Just like Ikwulono, many residents are in the perennial tit-for-tat, herder-farmer conflicts in Benue State.

The Whistler’s Nneoma Benson embarked on a quest to reveal the motives and actors behind this conflict. In the first part of the investigation, victims narrate the harsh realities they face and how the conflict has torn their lives apart.

What’s happening

• Oinu Matthew narrowly escaped assailants who killed his brother and ordered him to go and collect his brother’s corpse.
• Rebecca Micheal is constantly chased away from her farm by armed herders. She is currently struggling to maintain her previous productivity levels from the small portions of land she has left.
• Mary Emmanuel had to stop farming some of her land because of constant attacks by herders. The fear for her life has pushed her to cultivate smaller plots near her home.

Between the lines

This conflict is not just a communal struggle. It also shows the high level of insecurity in communities in Benue state and many parts of central Nigeria.

Catch up quick

The once-peaceful cohabitation between the farmers and the herders took a tragic turn in 2001, when a Benue farmer confronted a Fulani herder grazing cattle on his farm. The herder, feeling threatened, drew a sword and killed the farmer. This incident marked the first bloodshed in the region between herders and farmers. Subsequently, encroachments and disputes escalated, with residents of farming villages in Benue vowing not to accommodate herders in their communities. Over time, the conflict intensified and was fueled by factors including climate change, competition for resources, and reported killings on both sides.

Our take

Benue’s herder-farmer conflict calls for government intervention and peacebuilding measures to restore peace among the fighting communities. The communities involved should also find ways to share the resources causing the war, such as fishponds and farmlands.

Read the second part of the story here.

This story was produced with the support of the International Center for Journalists (ICFJ) in partnership with Code for Africa.

Read the full article at The Whistler.

Summary by iLAB deputy insights manager Mitchelle Awuor. Edited by iLAB insights manager Nicholas Ibekwe and iLAB copy editor Theresa Mallinson.