‘LAND BANDITS’ OR ‘LAND GRABBERS’: FULANI HERDSMEN AND LOCAL FARMERS INCESSANT BLOODY CLASHES IN NIGERIA

Abstract

Countless of needless deaths have occurred due to the incessant clashes involving Fulani herdsmen and local Nigerian farmers. The security situation in the country is bad enough without this menace, which involves the simple, innocent and hardworking grassroot people. Nevertheless, the authorities appear clueless as to the appropriate angle, from which to tackle the issue. The wealth of scholarly discussions on the subject matter have also overlooked the conflict in relation to grazing and land use laws. This research, therefore, investigates the Fulani herdsmen perpetuated slaughter in the light of multi-dimensional factors, which are also subject to an ever-changing political landscape. The research is qualitative and employs archival and secondary sources of data. Discussions are based on the Modernisation theory and the Resource Scarcity Theory, which enable engaging the clashes from varying angles. The study identifies the incoherent policies on appropriate and peaceful land use and the problematic appeasement scheme at the various levels of the Nigerian government as one of the triggers for the clashes. Also, the poor social security package of the populace can be traced to the incessant bloody fights. As proper structural development plans are not made to construct grazing reserves for the nomadic merchants, they have decided to expand their enterprises by force—an option that readily addresses their need in a security handicap nation. Again, the porosity of the nation’s borders is also a major factor considered in this research, as evidence abounds to prove that most of the perpetuators of the senseless killings have their hideouts in border nations, from where weapons are transported into the country to carry out their activities. Lastly, the study discusses farmland takeovers, as a finishing of the massacre of the Fulani herdsmen. After destroying a village, the culprits confidently occupy the land, sometime with military assistance while the original owners scamper for safety. This security challenge is tantamount to economic, social and political retardation, as it leads to loss of lives and properties, delayed and probably denied foreign and local investments, the destruction of fertile arable land, reduced food supply and ultimately shortened overall productivity. If the government does not rise to the occasion through drastic security measures, future occurrences will remain most likely.