Need To Halt Fulani Herdsmen Attack In Plateau

Crisis between Fulani herdsmen and farmers in Plateau State is in the news again for all the wrong reasons. The hostility of the herdsmen attack on their host community – the Plateau Natives, has resulted in cattle rustling, the only defense known to the natives to retaliate the wanton killings that has gone unabated for almost a decade.

According to a former National Secretary of Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders’ Association of Nigeria (MACBAN), Saleh Bayeri, he said that the only way natives can get the Fulani herdsmen off their land is to rustle and kill their cattle because that is the only means of livelihood known to the Fulani man.

“They know that the only thing precious to the Fulani man is his cow. He values his cow more than his life, so by rustling and killing the cattle, the Fulani man will have no option than to move out of their farmlands”.

However, a native of Plateau from the Berom clan who do not want his name on print told our correspondent that the Fulani’s often rain abuses on them using inciting words like ‘we have conquered you during Jihad’. He also alleged that the herdsmen graze on the graves of their lost ones, an act the natives find unacceptable.

The unabated crisis in Plateau brought about the citing of the Special Task Force (STF), code named Operation Safe Haven (OPSH), in the volatile areas of the state and given mandate to restor peace in the troubled state.

Various Commanders of the outfit has deployed strategies aimed at ending the crisis. Approach like the carrot and stick was deployed by the immediate past Commander, Major General Tagbo Ude to ensue peace was maintained.

The compulsory compensation of destruction of farmlands and rustling of cattle were all deployed as measures to checkmate the incessant clashes between the waring herdsmen and the natives.

Just recently, the current OPSH Commander, Major General Nicholas Rogers had said his deployment to Plateau is to ensure that he stamps out the clash between the waring sides and to maintain and sustain peace within the state at large.

Hitting the ground running, Gen. Rogers has been visiting the most troubled spots in the state, re- emphasising the need for the herdsmen and natives to live together.

At a Town Hall meeting orgainsed recently, in Ryiom Local Government Area in the State, Rogers tasked Berom youths to put behind the squabble between them and the Fulani youths, to allow development and progress to thrive.

Speaking at the forum, Rogers stated that any criminal act from the Berom youths and Fulani will not be tolerated.

He said the essence of the forum is to develop a platform aimed at sustaining the relative peace currently being enjoyed in the region.

He said the meeting with the Berom youths is in one hand as he will organise another forum with the Fulani youths, after which he will bring both parties together.

Responding, the Riyom Local Government Chairman, Hon. Mafeng Gwalson, said that Riyom has enjoyed relative peace since this administration came on board, saying that before now, over 30 persons were being killed in Riyom every month, but that since this year, not even a soul has lost his life in the region.

He told the people of Riyom not to bother themselves with the grazing reserve or ranching policy as no land in the northern zone of Plateau state will be given for the programme as recommended by the British in the Niki Tobi report.

The LG boss stated that the reason for the recommendation is due to the non availability of land in the northern Plateau as most of the lands are rich in Mining resource, he said.

However in another visit to the Fulani settlement in Mahanga at Barkin-ladi Local Government Area of Plateau, the OPSH boss charged his Sector Commanders to ensure criminals are stamped out of the State, within 10 days.

Rogers said the call became necessary as the frequent menace of criminal activities especially in the case of cattle rustling is on the rise.

His Words: “I have given my Sector Commanders a matching other to rid the state of criminal activities”.

However, he beseeched the Fulani to shun every act of violence and imbibe the culture of living peacefully with their neigbours as crisis can only lead to more hardship.

The Army boss said he will continue to implore dialogue as a means of resolving crisis as the carrot approach which his predecessor also leveraged on is part of the Military approach in resolving crisis.

Rogers said he will bring both the Berom (a dominant tribe in Plateau North) and the Fulani together in a Town Hall meetings to broker sustainable peace amongst them.

In his response, the head of Fulani community in Mahanga, Alh. Adam Mahmuda, appreciated the visit of the Army boss and pledged to work in harmony with him to ensure peaceful coexistence between his people and the Beroms.