BENUE State, often referred to as the “Food Basket of the Nation” in Nigeria comprises several ethnic groups making up a population of about seven million who are predominantly farmers.
Known as the largest food production hub in Nigeria dealing in several species of crops, the state is known for its rich agricultural output valued globally and is the largest producer of yam in Nigeria, known for its high quality and large size.
Its soybean is valued for its protein content and is a significant export product. While it produces a substantial amount of rice, which is increasingly gaining recognition for its quality, its cassava used for various food products like garri, tapioca, and flour is highly regarded.
Apart from local use, Benue’s sesame seeds for instance are exported globally. The state prides in a variety of mangoes and citrus fruits, known for their sweetness, juiciness and flavour.
Also, Benue is a high production field of groundnuts (Peanuts), guava, pear and African wild mango, scientifically known as Irvingia gabonensis, locally referred to as ogbono, and many more, all contributing significantly to both the local economy and international trade, making the state a crucial agricultural hub.
Today, a significant population of this agricultural nerve centre of Nigeria is caught in limbo; for several decades now, the people have been placed on the edge of hell where souls, though yet not condemned to hell, are neither in heaven as IDPs’ camps now become the people’s home. The once happy farmers known for welcoming every single visitor with mountains of assorted foods ranging from fruits, tubers, vegetables, oil and flour now live in the past moments.
Out of the 23 Local Government Areas of the state, in Logo to Guma, Agatu, Gwer West, Kwande, Makurdi, Apa, Okpokwu, Bururku, Otukpo and others, it has been tales of woes as the agrarian people vacate their ancestral homes taking refuge in IDPs camps as they abandoned farming.
There are multiple reports indicating that the continued stay of the people in these IDPs camps is redesigning the state into a hub of complicated human disaster and rewriting the history of the entire country in negativity.
While this reality has broader implications on the education and psyche of the people, food scarcity looms and will soon hit the country if not quickly checked.
It is worrisome that this issue seems to be underrated allowing the perpetrators of violence to take more liberty.
It is high time the Benue State government, in collaboration with the Federal Government and international organisations, looked into this matter so as to bring the displaced farmers back to their ancestral homes.
It is unfortunate that for decades, Nigeria as a whole has experienced violent clashes between farmers and herders whereas it is quite interesting that the long awaited bill seeking to establish ranches and prohibit open grazing across the country as a lasting legal solution to the problem has passed the second reading at the Senate after a heated debate.
History has it that there was a very friendly relationship between farmers and herders in Nigeria. Stories are out there about exchange of farm products for cow milk locally between farmers and herders. They even said that if a cow destroyed your crop and you complained to the herder, they would compensate you. Question is, why don’t these things happen again? Where did we start getting it wrong?
It is no news that the farmer-herder crisis in Benue State, the worst-hit in the North Central region, has resulted in significant casualties. In April 2023 alone, attacks by armed herders on communities in Apa, Otukpo and Guma local government areas led to the deaths of about 130 people. In February 2024, another wave of violence by suspected herders hit Kwande, Apa and Guma LGAs resulting in stunning fatalities and several injuries. Other states in central Nigeria have staggering data on their horrifying experiences.
In the South East, there have been reports on killings by herder. Lamentations over the herders’ invasion of Nimbo, a community in Uzo-Uwani Local Government Area of Enugu State and the killing and maiming of scores were still on the lips of the people when yet another calamity struck in Enugu. This time, herdsmen gruesomely massacred about 11 people, including a pregnant woman in Ebonyi State as reported in an online newspaper publication of May 6 this year.
The South-West, South-South as well as the Northern regions all have their fair share of this tsunami. And as terrible and pathetic as it is, these prolonged conflicts that have caused widespread displacement and loss of lives have been seemingly treated with kid gloves on the floor of the National Assembly until now.
It is heartbreaking to know that Benue State alone has over 17 internally displaced persons (IDP) camps said to be housing about 1.5 million people including those that are taking shelter in the host communities.
These are indications that the bloodletting and hardship in this country as a result of herders-farmers clashes is unfortunately becoming the new normal. However, any honest step towards curbing the situation should be approached without any iota of ethnic sentiment.
While the establishment of ranches and prohibition of open grazing must be approached with a balanced perspective that safeguards the interests of all citizens, senators and the general population need to dislodge the feeling that herdsmen are synonymous with Fulanis as anybody from anywhere in the country can be a herdsman.
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