Many people have died, and lives have been ruined in Nigeria’s Plateau State, because of recent, terrible violence. This ongoing fight between herders (who move with their cattle), and farmers (who grow crops) isn’t just about land. It’s a complicated problem made worse by bad weather, more people, old disagreements, and religious differences.
Recent Killings in Nigeria’s Plateau:
Lately, Plateau State has seen awful attacks. On July 15, over 30 people, including a little 3-year-old girl, and nine members of one family, were cruelly killed in an attack on the Bindi community in Riyom. Heavily armed groups, who survivors said were from the Fulani people, shot, stabbed, and burned victims in their homes. Before this, there were other deadly events. Like an attack on July 7 in Katsina State where a church leader was killed, and a pastor’s wife was taken. In mid-June, more than 160 people were killed in a farming village in Benue State, supposedly by herders.
Plateau State Governor, Barr. Caleb Manasseh Mutfwang, clearly stated, “This isn’t a farmer-herder fight. This is terrorism; this is genocide, pure, and simple.” His words show how serious, and deliberate these attacks are.
Why the Conflict Keeps Happening:
To understand why this fighting continues, we need to look at several reasons:
- Not Enough Land, and Resources: At its heart, the fight is a desperate struggle for less, and less good land, and water. Herders used to move their cattle along certain paths, eating grass on empty fields after crops were harvested. But with more people, and more farming, these paths, and grazing lands have shrunk a lot. This forces herders onto farms, destroying crops, and causing fights.
- Climate Change Makes it Worse: Because of climate change (hotter weather, strange rain, and land turning into desert), the usual grazing areas in northern Nigeria are drying up. This pushes herders south into the fertile Middle Belt, including Plateau State. This move creates even more competition in areas where many farmers already live.
- Ethnic, and Religious Differences: While it might seem like just a fight over resources, the conflict is sadly mixed with ethnic, and religious divides. Most herders are Fulani, and mainly Muslim, while the farming communities in Plateau State, like the Berom, and Irigwe, are mostly Christian. These differences, along with old grudges, and ideas about who belongs, and who doesn’t, often make the violence worse, turning land arguments into religious clashes.
- Weak Government, and No Punishment: A big reason the violence continues is that the Nigerian government is seen as failing to provide enough safety, and justice. Local people say security groups don’t respond to warnings, or, sometimes, don’t protect people. When attackers aren’t arrested, and punished, it makes them feel they can get away with it, leading to more attacks, and less trust in the government.
- More Guns: The growing number of powerful weapons among both herders, and local self-defense groups has turned small fights into big, deadly massacres.
Nigeria’s Terrible Human Cost:
The impact of these fights on people is awful. Besides losing lives, communities are broken. Homes are burned, ways of making a living are destroyed, and thousands of people are forced to leave their homes.
They often find shelter in temporary camps, churches, or schools, which uses up more resources, and stops children from going to school. The violence also makes it harder to get food, as farmers can’t work their land, and food delivery stops. Children, like four-year-old Onyuso, who saw his mother die, carry deep emotional pain.
The violence in Plateau State clearly shows that Nigeria urgently needs a complete, and ongoing plan to build peace. Its high time for international organizations like UNHRC to act. Without dealing with the main reasons for the conflict, and ensuring justice for victims, the cycle of violence will continue to kill innocent people, leaving communities living in constant fear, and sadness.
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