AN ASSESSMENT OF FARMERS’-HERDERS’ VIOLENT CONFLICT IN BENUE STATE, NIGERIA (2009- 2018)
AN ASSESSMENT OF FARMERS’-HERDERS’ VIOLENT CONFLICT IN BENUE STATE, NIGERIA (2009- 2018)
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Date
2021-04
Authors
APENDA, Isaac Tersoo
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Abstract
In Nigeria, particularly Benue State, farmer-herder conflicts have become widespread and
increasingly assume a violent dimension.The groups involved in the violent conflicts over
resources are crop farmers and herders. Both the farmers and herders are completely
dependent on land for the cultivation of crops and rearing of animals respectively. The two
occupations are expected to be complementary to each other but they are always in constant
violent conflicts with each other in the recent times. The good relationship they used to have,
had transformed into irreconcilable antagonism which always result in violent conflicts. This
study was therefore, designed to assess the violent conflict in Benue State, Nigeria from 2009
to 2018. In order to achieve this, the study outlined the following objectives: to understand
the nature and manifestations of the violent conflict; examine factors responsible for the
conflict; assess Socio-economic effects of the conflict on the farmers and herders; explore
strategies adopted by farmers and herders in coping with the effects of the conflict and, to
assess the role played by governments and other relevant stakeholders to forestall the
reoccurrence of the conflict in the study area.To provide a theoretical base for the study,
Eco-Violence and Frustration Aggression theories as propounded by Thomas Homer in 1998
and the original formulation of the frustration–aggression hypothesis by Dollard, Doob,
Miller, Mowrer, and Sears in 1939 .respectively were reviewed. However Eco-Violence
theory was adopted for the study. It explaines the intricate linkages that have developed
between resource scarcity as a result of climate change and violent conflict which to some
extent explains the basis for harmers‘-herders‘ violent conflict in Benue State. The study also
employs multi - stage cluster sampling techniques where combinations of simple, systematic,
snowball and purposive sampling techniques were used to select respondents and study
participants. Data were collected using both quantitative and qualitative methods.
Questionnaire was deployed in collecting quantitative data from 320 respondents that were
made up of farmers and herders in the study area. While qualitative data were collected from
26 key informants using in-depth interview guide. Quantitative data collected through
questionnaire were analyzed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version
20 and was presented in form of tables, frequencies and percentages. While the qualitative
data was presented in sub- themes according to the objectives of the study. In terms of the
nature of the conflict in the study area, the study reveals that farmers and herders were
attacking each other with sophisticated weapons. The study further shows that, some
traditional rulers were having some secret financial dealings with the herders without the
knowledge of their subjects. Several factors were also found to be responsible for farmers‘-
herders‘ violent conflicts in Benue State; the factors include unfavourable environmental
changes, population explosion, religious intolerance, ethnic suspicion and political factors
among others. In terms of Socio- Economic effect of the conflict, the study indicates that
peaceful inter-groups relations have been compromised in the study area coupled with
destruction of valuable property and source of livelihoods among others. The challenge of
the conflict on the farmers and herdsmen in the study location, the study found that residents
have adopted different strategies in order to cope with the urgly development. Some of the
strategies include, migration from trouble spots to safer communities, abandonment of
farming and herding as means of livelihood, receiving help from politicians among
others.The study also found that conflict between farmers and herders in Benue State has
been politicized and measures taken by governments and stakeholders had not been
successful. Based on the findings it was therefore recommended that the traditional
authorities should be open to their subjects when it comes to issues bordering on land
resources in their communities to avoid suspicion. Government should establish permanent
security task force comprising of all the security agencies and marine police outpost along the
riverine communities where invaders always attacked. It further recommended that both the
farmers and herders should be part of the security network to help forestall conflicts and also
report the presence of strange faces (foreigners) in their communities to security agents. The
study also recommended the governments to address the environmental challenges that are
forcing herders southward by ranching of livestock or building of dams, recharging of Lake
Chad Basin , watering of grasses and trees to create more grasses for grazing of cattle in order
to make herders comfortable in the far Northern Nigeria to curtail their movement
southward.The study also recommended that the Federal, State and stakeholders should
depoliticized the conflict. The study therefore concludes that, the conflict has become a
serious national security threat that needs urgent attention of government and all stakeholders
to curtail the incidence of the conflict in the area.
Description
A DISSERTATION SUBMITTED TO THE SCHOOL OF POSTGRADUATE
STUDIES AHMADU BELLO UNIVERSITY, ZARIA
IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE AWARD OF
THE DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY (Ph.D) DEGREE IN SOCIOLOGY
DEPARTMENT OF SOCIOLOGY,
FACULTY OF SOCIAL SCIENCES,
AHMADU BELLO UNIVERSITY,
ZARIA, NIGERIA
Keywords
ASSESSMENT,, FARMERS’-HERDERS’ VIOLENT CONFLICT,, BENUE STATE,, NIGERIA, (2009- 2018).