Herdsmen, Farmers Agree to Live Peacefully in Niger state

BY MAIRIGA Juliana, Minna

Tensed atmosphere that would have disrupted the peaceful co- existence between farmers and Fulani herdsmen in parts of Niger state have subsided with the signing of peace pact between the two parties.

The decision to embrace peace is coming on the premise of the state government’s commitment to the promotion of peaceful co-existence amongst all the ethnic nationalities by committing funds to building bridges of understanding among tribes and religions in the state.

Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Niger state, Alhaji Akilu Musa Kuta stated this at the reconciliatory meeting between farmers and Fulani herdsmen which took place at the District Head of Bosso, Bosso Local Government Area of the state.

Attributing Niger state as a miniature Nigeria with its own challenges which the Governor Sani Bello led government have been managing, Akilu said, “Niger state government have been spending money to promote peaceful co-existence among all the tribes and no amount of money can be said to be too much to guarantee peaceful co-existence”.

Akilu assured the District Head of Bosso, of the state government’s full support to the bold step that saw to the coming together and agreeing to bury their differences for peace to reign by the groups and therefore urged other traditional rulers to emulate him.

Also speaking, the Director-General Nomadic Affairs, Ardo Abdullahi Adamu Babayo stressed the need for a far reaching policy that would put a permanent end to the perennial hostilities between farmers in the country and Fulani herdsmen.

Babayo who attributed the constant clashes between farmers and herdsmen partly to the inciting comments from elites, especially those living in the urban areas called for a change of attitude that would promote, ‘what unites us and to do away with what divide us’, as a people.

District Head of Bosso community, Alhaji Mu’azu Adamu Laka, said the peace meeting was initiated by his palace as a way of safeguarding the area and Niger state as a whole from being used as a theatre of war and bloodletting.

The peace meeting was well attended by representatives of farmers in Niger state, Fulani herdsmen and as well representatives of security agencies and other relevant stakeholders in Niger state.