THE SOUTHERN KADUNA PERENNIAL CLASHES IN PERSPECTIVE

THE SOUTHERN KADUNA PERENNIAL CLASHES IN PERSPECTIVE

                        By:

           8th September,2023

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To begin with, conspiracy theories on the "issue" and its subsequent politicization has not done anybody any good. The crisis will linger unless we understand and accept the "root" cause of the "modern conflict" which is largely "competition" for "land resources" for which the so-called "indigenous farmers" need for crops "cultivation" and the "nomadic fulanis" need for "grazing". 

In my observation, the ethno-religious clashes witnessed in southern Kaduna from the 1980s to through the 1990s to year 2000s were largely between the minority "indigenous Hausas" of the area who are mostly muslims, but are largely "seen" and "regarded" as "settlers" by the majority none Hausa ethnic groups of the area who are mostly christians. This nature of crisis has largely subsided.

However, the ongoing crisis in southern Kaduna is slightly different from the one mentioned above. The one being experienced now is between the majority none Hausa ethnic groups of the area who are mostly "farmers" and the "nomadic fulanis" over struggle for land resources.

By providence, most of the indigenous farmers are "christians" and most of the nomads are muslims. In my thought, if both the farmers and the nomads are "muslims" and "fulanis" or "christians" and "none fulanis" the "competition"will still "exist" as evidences show in Katsina, Zamfara, Niger, and Sokoto states etc., where both farmers as nomads are muslims and Hausa-fulanis.

There is "waylaying" and "run away" and counter "waylaying" and "run away" "attacks" "strategy" being adopted in the attacks by both parties. There is also "dark nights" attacks in the ongoing conflict. Unfortunately, the nomadic fulanis who are at the "centre" of the conflict by their "philosophy" and or "Psychology" do not easily "forgive" or "forget". The indigenous farmers have also insisted on tit- for- tat approach with the nomads.

The history of Farmers -herders clashes is from the time immemorial. It is well captured in our "religious scriptures", but a people and a country we have not properly "managed" the issue with all the seriousness its deserves. The nomadic fulanis in at least across West Africa sub- region do not have "borderlines" and they move freely across in search of posture for their animals. We are into conflict "settlement"as against "resolution.

Our major fault is that, one, we have failed to accept that the crisis is of land resources not "ethnic" or "religious", two, we have failed to secure our borderlines against at least the foreign nomads, three, we have not been managing the nomads' deliberate straying into farms, four, we have not been managing the alleged extortion of nomads by Ardos who are supposed to protect them and the connivance of local chiefs, the Police and the magistrates which compounded the matter, five, we have not been managing jungle justice in terms of maiming and killings of nomads and their cattle by farmers.

In addition, six, we have bastardized cattle "routes" and "grazing reserves", seven, we have failed to modernize cattle business and eight, we stopped "Jangali tax" which would have helped us know the population of our local nomads, their cattle and the presence of foreign nomads .

From independence to date both human and cattle population have increased , but the size of our "land" has even reduced due to desertification and or climate change. Many countries have moved away from traditional cattle business to modern cattle business.

It is sad note that, farmers-herders clashes in Benue state are linked to federal government while that of Kaduna state are linked to the state government. For us to get it right , we must accept that the crisis of land resources. We must as government gives extra ordinary attention to "cattle rearing" as a business not a tradition. There must be genuine effort at providing a "win-win solution" that would bring back both farmers and herders to their once peaceful co-existence .

May God bless Kaduna state