Mike Odeh James
Agatu, Benue State — The Agatu for Peace and Development Initiative Worldwide has raised fresh concerns over the sudden and mass return of Fulani herders to the Agatu land in Benue State, just days after they vacated the area following a quit notice issued by the chairman and traditional leaders.
In a strongly worded press statement signed by its National President, Comrade Jeremiah Alhassan, and distributed to media houses on Monday, the group revealed that Fulani herders have resumed grazing activities in several parts of Agatu, including Ogbawulu, Ogwule-Kaduna, Egwuma Ikpele 1, Ikpele 2, Okpokpolo Odugbeho Okokolo Odejo, Engla, etc. These areas had reportedly witnessed some level of calm following the earlier exodus of the herders.
According to Comrade Alhassan, the herders returned with large herds of cattle and have resumed grazing indiscriminately on farmlands, leading to the destruction of both newly planted crops and remnants of last season’s harvest. He estimated that farmlands and agricultural produce worth millions of naira have already been lost to the renewed encroachment.
“This is a devastating blow to our farmers, many of whom had just started the planting season after suffering years of violence and displacement. Our people have barely recovered from past attacks, and now we are faced with yet another crisis,” Alhassan lamented.
The Agatu for Peace and Development Initiative, which has been at the forefront of advocacy for stability in the region, urged the Council Chairman, Agatu Local Government Area, Hon Melvin James Ejeh, to act swiftly to avert a total breakdown of law and order.
“We call on the Agatu LGA Chairman, as well as relevant state and federal authorities, to urgently intervene. The herders must be persuaded or compelled to vacate Agatu land to prevent further loss of crops, rising tensions, and possible retaliatory actions by local farmers,” the statement read.
The group also appealed to the Benue State Government, led by Governor Hyacinth Alia, to reinforce the state’s anti-open grazing law and deploy security personnel to prevent further incursion. The Benue State Open Grazing Prohibition and Ranches Establishment Law, passed in 2017, prohibits open grazing of livestock and was intended to curb conflicts between farmers and herders.
Residents of the affected communities report that the herders are often armed and move freely without any form of regulation or oversight. “We have no way to protect ourselves or our farms,” said one farmer in Egwule-Kaduna. “If this continues, hunger and poverty will deepen in our communities.”
Agatu has long been a flashpoint in the broader herder-farmer conflict that has plagued Nigeria’s Middle Belt. The area was the scene of a deadly massacre in 2016, where hundreds were reportedly killed and entire villages were razed. While peace efforts and local security initiatives have been ongoing, tensions remain high.
Community leaders, civil society organizations, and security analysts warn that failure to address the situation could escalate into another round of violence, threatening not only food security but also fragile peace in the region.
As the planting season reaches its peak, the people of Agatu are pleading with the Nigerian government to prioritize the protection of their ancestral lands, to support displaced farmers, and enforce existing laws to bring lasting peace and development to the area.
