Security Chiefs, Do Your Job—Nigerians Are Dying: The Herders-Farmers Conflict Rooted in Land, Law, and Neglect

 Security Chiefs, Do Your Job—Nigerians Are Dying: The Herders-Farmers Conflict Rooted in Land, Law, and Neglect

By Daniel Okonkwo

For close to three decades, a brutal and persistent conflict has gripped Nigeria’s Middle Belt, with the state of Benue emerging as one of its bloodiest epicenters. What began as tensions between itinerant herders and local farmers has evolved into an entrenched humanitarian and security crisis. Despite Nigeria’s constitutional guarantees and land governance framework, the conflict continues to claim lives, displace communities, and erode the nation’s socio-political cohesion.

 Why can't herders—like every other Nigerian—buy land or peacefully negotiate for grazing rights with host communities? Instead, there have been recurring reports of herders trespassing on farmland, destroying crops, and engaging in deadly confrontations with local populations.

This crisis intensified during the previous administration and has escalated dramatically in recent years. Security analyst head of Beacon Security and Intelligence Limited reports that between May 2023 and May 2025, over 1,043 people were killed in Benue State alone. This comment staggering figure exceeds the casualties attributed to the Boko Haram insurgency within the same period.

The violence is often attributed to herders' origin—migrating southward in search of pasture for their cattle. This migration brings them into direct conflict with farming communities, whose crops and water sources are frequently trampled or polluted. Many of these herders are armed with sophisticated weapons, citing self-defense against cattle rustlers. Yet the reality on the ground suggests a far more complex and violent struggle.

Leaders of affected communities, such as the Tiv people in Benue, argue that the attacks are not merely spontaneous clashes but part of an organized campaign of land grabbing. The Tor Tiv, James Ayatse, told President Bola Tinubu during a recent visit:

> “It’s not herders-farmers clashes, it’s not communal clashes, it’s not reprisal attacks or skirmishes. It’s a calculated, well-planned, full-scale genocidal invasion and land-grabbing campaign that has lasted for decades.”

Despite this chilling assertion, Fulani community leaders like Baba Othman Ngelzarma maintain that their people are not behind the violence:

> “Our people are not behind the Benue killings. We know there are unresolved issues in Benue, but we have never allowed any of our people to attack or kill others.”

Government authorities have largely refrained from explicitly blaming any ethnic or religious group. However, in reality, each attack tends to trigger a cycle of revenge, fueling ongoing violence that leaves countless dead and displaced.

The root causes of this conflict extend beyond ethnicity or religion. Environmental degradation—driven by desertification and erratic rainfall—has significantly reduced viable grazing lands in the North, compelling herders to move southward in search of resources. According to Beacon Intelligence’s Kabir Adamu:

> “These pressures compel herders to migrate southward, including Benue State, where resources are already strained. Rapid population growth in these areas further intensifies the competition for limited land and water, creating a self-reinforcing cycle of environmental stress, migration, and conflict escalation.”

This convergence of climate stress, economic desperation, and governance failure has created fertile ground for violence, with devastating consequences for agricultural productivity, trade, and national security.

Successive Nigerian administrations have proposed various solutions. Former President Muhammadu Buhari’s plan to establish grazing reserves was vehemently rejected by several southern states, who feared it amounted to a forced land cession to Fulani herders. More recently, the federal government under President Tinubu launched the Forest Guards Initiative and reactivated a federal joint task force. These steps aim to combat armed groups in forested areas and enhance rural security.

During his recent visit to Benue, President Tinubu ordered security agencies to “go after these bandits” and announced a peace committee comprising four former governors and two traditional rulers. Despite these efforts, many locals remain skeptical. Public affairs analyst Sam Philip in Makurdi remarked:

> “This issue has been ignored for long in terms of real attention from the government, and that is why things continue to escalate.”

Any effective resolution must be comprehensive—integrating both security and socio-economic strategies.

Deploying more tactical and intelligence-led security forces to volatile regions like Benue.

Ultimately, the Nigerian government must uphold the constitutional right of all citizens to live and own property peacefully across the federation. This entails not only providing security but also establishing trust, justice, and accountability.

The herders-farmers conflict is no longer a “clash” over pasture and crops. It is a national security crisis that demands urgent and sustained action. Nigeria cannot afford to ignore the root causes any longer—be they legal, environmental, ethnic, or political. Only a holistic, inclusive approach can end the cycle of violence and restore hope to communities torn apart by decades of bloodshed.

Daniel Okonkwo is a writer and human rights advocate with a deep focus on social justice, conflict resolution, and governance in Nigeria. He is known for his investigative and analytical work on national security, displacement, and intercommunal conflicts. Daniel writes for Profile International Human Rights Advocate and other platforms committed to truth, accountability, and peacebuilding.

Security Chiefs, Do Your Job—Nigerians Are Dying: The Herders-Farmers Conflict Rooted in Land, Law, and Neglect