The police in Borno said that eight persons died in a clash between farmers and herders over alleged land encroachment in the Bayo Local Government Area of the state.

The Commissioner of Police, Abdu Umar, confirmed the incident at a meeting with leaders of the farmer association and Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association (MACBAN) on Friday in Maiduguri, the state capital.

He said the report indicated that violence erupted on November 30 over the alleged encroachment of farmlands and murder of a farmer by unidentified assailants in the area.

“Eight persons were killed, including children, while 47 houses and six motorcycles were burnt,” he said.

He said the police had restored normalcy to the area and arrested some suspects in connection with the disturbance. He added that the state government had provided relief items to the affected persons.

“This is a source of concern to the government and security agencies; the meeting aims to provide a lasting solution to the problem.

“At the end, we shall come up with modalities to check movement of wandering herders into the state, especially in areas that witnessed violence,” he said.

According to him, a committee will be set up to enhance surveillance and monitoring and promote peaceful coexistence between farmers and herders.

He said the committee members would comprise representatives of security agencies, farmers and herders associations.

In his remarks, Ahmadu Musa-Karube, chairman of the MACBAN, called for proactive measures to address the root cause of the problem.

Mr Musa-Karube said the lack of cattle routes and encroachment of farmlands were largely responsible for farmer/herder clashes in the state.

Also speaking, Hassan Musa, a farmer representative, advocated a ban on night animal grazing in the state.

He also called for closer collaboration between the leadership of the farmers and herders’ unions to address the problem. 

(NAN)