The Borno State Police Command has confirmed that eight persons lost their lives in a clash between farmers and herdsmen over alleged land encroachment in Bayo Local Government Area of the state.
The Commissioner of Police, Abdu Umar, disclosed the incident on Friday in Maiduguri during a meeting with leaders of the farmers association and the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association.
According to him, the report indicated that violence erupted on November 30, due to alleged land encroachment and the killing of a farmer by unidentified assailants in the area.
“Eight people including children were killed while 47 houses and six motorcycles were burnt,” he said.
He said the police had restored normalcy and arrested some suspects in the riots, adding that the state government had provided relief items to the affected people.
“It is a source of concern for the government and the security agencies, the meeting aims to find lasting solutions to the problem.
“At the end, we will propose modalities to verify the movement of itinerant shepherds to the state, especially in areas that witness violence,” he said.
According to him, a committee will be created to improve surveillance and follow-up, as well as to promote peaceful coexistence between farmers and ranchers.
He said that the members of the committee will be made up of representatives of the security agencies, farmers and herdsmen associations.
In his remarks, Ahmadu Musa-Karube, MACBAN President, called for proactive measures to address the root cause of the problem.
Musa-Karube said lack of cattle tracks and encroachments on agricultural land were largely responsible for the farmers/herdsmen clashes in the state.
Also, the farmer representative Hassan Musa supported the prohibition of grazing nocturnal animals in the state.
He has called for closer collaboration between farmers’ and livestock farmers’ unions to deal with the problem.
IN
