HERDSMEN BRUTALITY: A THREAT TO LIFE AND SOCIO ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IN NIGERIA A CASE STUDY OF BURUKU AND AYANGBA LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 BACKGROUND OF STUDY

Crime rate and other forms of crises have increased overtime in Nigeria. a lot of eort has been put together to resolve the issue of crise and other forms of conflict in Nigeria. According to Hellstrom, 2001; Niemella et al, 2005) stated that the incessant resource conflicts witnessed in the tropics have resulted in loss of lives, properties and environmental degradation as a also witnessed in some developed countries such as Balhans. This incidence is now a household name among the West African countries including Nigeria. (Thebaud and Batterburry, 2001) in their research stated that the Fulani Herds men have borne a large proportion of the blame for most conflict and environmental degradation in policy statements in the Guinea Savannah region of West African states. The Fulani herdsmen brutality that was experienced lately in Benue state was a result of fighting space for grazing land. It is evident from the instructions from the president of Nigeria that each stated must provide a grazing space for the Fulani herdsmen; which resulted to conflict in most of the rural areas in Nigeria as a result of high level of illiteracy and greed. According to Berger (2003) stated that there is a need for grazing movements to access pasture resources across regions in order to ensure food security for the herds.

Hence, pastures, woody vegetation, water resources and land are taken as a common property resource. Most of the local government area in Benue and Kogi State has had a terrible experience lately as a result of crises over grazing space. It was reported that the complex land-use system that has changed markedly over time, has culminated in the present day tension and conflicts between herds man and host communities. (2001) reported that the Benue Valley region in Nigeria had witnessed violent conflicts enough to attract both State and National attention. Crops, livestock’s, water resources and other vegetal resources played key roles in the development, maintenance and projection of socio-economic strength of a society (Schama, 1996). The Fulani herdsmen livelihood strategies had resulted in conflicts over the destruction of crops. The environmental degradation is perceived to be contributing enormously to the deterioration in ecosystem services to the environment of various communities. It is to this regard that study wishes to use Buruku local and Anyangba government area of Benue and Kogi State respectively as the case study.

1.2 STATEMENT OF RESEARCH PROBLEM

What really instigated the study was as result of threat pose by the activities of the Fulani herdsmen on lives and socioeconomic development in Nigeria. It is evident that the constant change in complex land-use system has culminated in the present day tension and conflicts between herds man and host communities. Secondly the level of illiteracy in most of the communities has significant effect on the effectiveness of communication among the Fulani herdsmen and the members of the various communities. The ongoing incidence has resulted to lost of lives, damage of crops, livestock and environmental degradation.