Abuja-Nigeria: Benue State police command spokesmen, Daniel Ezeala said that several houses were burnt but he cannot say if anyone died in the attack by suspected Fulani cattle herdsmen at Iyordye Akaalena in Guma local government area. He said security forces had moved in to curtail the violence and restore normalcy.
The Guma local government chairman, Mr. Frank Adii who also confirmed the incident disclosed that the casualty figure is high with many injured.
Violence over grazing rights is common between Fulani nomad’s and local farmers in Africa’s most populous nation of over 160 million people made up of over 250 ethnic groups.
The problem is essentially an economic problem between the farmers, their crops as a means of livelihood and the cattle’s of the Fulani herdsmen.
A social analyst opined that the only possible solution to ending this type of crisis in Nigeria is to map out grazing land route for the Fulani nomadic herdsmen who also solely depends on this livestock for livelihood.
By: Abiodun Abidoye
Africa Online News 