The Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa, has said that the violence in Benue State and other parts of the country should not be described as “farmers-herders clashes,” insisting that animals invading farmlands is not a clash but trespass.
Speaking to journalists on Tuesday, the Defence Chief outlined three major causes of the ongoing killings in Benue and neighbouring states. He said the core issues are land disputes between indigenes and non-indigenes, the uncontrolled movement of livestock, and cattle rustling.
General Musa stressed that most of these problems are not military in nature and can only be resolved through political solutions.
He explained, “From what I have observed, the land issue between indigene and non-indigene is critical and political. It needs political resolution. Secondly, the movement of animals. A farm does not move. When an animal enters a farm, it’s not a clash, it’s an intrusion. If the animals stop moving, we won’t have most of these problems.”
He added that rustling of moving animals also fuels more violence and insecurity, and must be tackled alongside the issue of animal movement.
“These are not military problems. What we can do is to stop people from attacking one another. But for lasting peace, political decisions must be made,” he said.
His comments come in the wake of a brutal attack in Yelwata community, Guma Local Government Area of Benue State, where over 200 people were reportedly burnt alive by suspected herdsmen. The massacre has drawn widespread condemnation both locally and internationally.
The Defence Chief’s remarks add to the ongoing national debate about how to permanently end the recurring violence in Benue and other parts of Nigeria’s Middle Belt, often blamed on disputes between farming communities and migrating herders.
