CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background to the study
One major problem
confronting world peace today is the manifestation of conflicts in different
dimensions across the globe. From Europe to America, Africa to Asia, conflicts
are common phenomena (Marshall and Gurr, 2005 in Jeong, 2008). Conflict refers
to an unhealthy social interaction in which the actors seek to obtain scarce
reward by eliminating or weakening their contenders. Folger (2009) defined
conflict as the interaction of interdependent people who perceive incompatible
goals and interference from each other in achieving thosegoals. Gyong (2007)
defined conflict as the struggle for dominance or control of one person or
group by the other in such a way as to subjugate or even eliminate the
opponent.
Nigeria has
experienced and is still experiencing conflicts of grave proportions among
several ethnic and religious communities across the states. These conflicts
significantly vary in dimension, process and the groups involved. It was
observed by Momale (2003) that, while some conflicts arise between same
resource user group such as between one farming community and another, others
occur between different user groups such as between herders and farmers or
between foresters and farmers. Adisa (2012) observed that the farmers-herdsmen
conflict has remained the most preponderant resource-use conflict in Nigeria.
In line with the above, Idama (2015), stated that there have been clashes
between Fulani herdsmen and the aborigines in several parts of Nigeria for over
three decades now. Most of the states these clashes are imminent include;
Benue, Plateau Nasarawa, Kogi, Kaduna, Kano and recently in Anambra, Delta and
Enugu states. According to Azubuike (2017) , the clashes are occasioned by the
destruction of agricultural farms of the aborigines by the cattle of the
Fulani’s.
Naturally Fulani’s
by their nature are migrants who leave their traditional abode in search of
greener pasture for their flocks. The migration is caused by the absence of
good and veritable land for their flock to feed on. For instance, the rate of
desertification and deforestation in the Sahara desert is at an alarming rate
and Nigeria is part of the countries of the Sahel region that experiences
drought, desertification and deforestation. These triadic challenges mentioned
above forced the Fulani’s who occupy the area to migrate down south for greener
pasture for their cattle to graze. In the course of entering the shores of the
southern and middle-belt regions of the country, their cattle cause great
damage to farm land, resulting to conflicts and confrontation with the
indigenes.
Between the year
2000 and 2015, there has been reported cases of conflicts and confrontation
between the Fulani’s and the indigenes of the areas they migrated to. The media
(print and electronics) is awash with reported cases of clashes between the
Fulani’s from the North and the inhabitants of the Plateau, Kogi and Benue in
the middle belt region of the country and some parts of the Eastern region. The
Sun Newspaper of June 30th, 2014 reported of clashes between the
Fulani’s and the Agatu people of Benue state and the clashes left several
people dead.
Agatu is a Local Government Area of Benue State,
Nigeria created in 1996. It used to be the Agatu district of the old Otukpo
division. The headquarters of the local government is at Obagaji; it is one of
nine local government areas in the southern senatorial zone which is mainly
occupied by the Idoma people of Benue State. The resident population are mainly
farmers. For about two decades now, communities within Agatu Local Government
Area have appeared to be a war zone between the indigents and the herdsmen.
According to Ayuba (2015) and Azubuike (2017) communities affected by these
crises include Rukubi, Agyma, Ologba, Egba among others.
These conflicts have left untold suffering in
the lives of the people in the area. It has paralysed economic growth,
political status quo and social and development. According to Nwigbo (2015),
Agatu/herdsmen crises remains antithetical to sustainable development of Benue
state. The author stated that development can only be sustained in an
environment free of rancour, disunity, killings destruction of lives and
properties. The consequences of Agatu/herdsmen conflicts to the communities in
Benue state in general is quite devastating and grievous. Such devastating
impacts included general insecurity, armed robbery, prolonged dislocation of
families, losses of property/jobs, poverty, stagnation of agricultural
productions, more violent struggle for power, low infrastructural development among
others
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