“They threatened me with a cutlass, warning that if I return to the farm, they will kill me,” recount the native farmers of Mangu, Plateau State. Reports by Raymond Haruna in Mangu.

The farmer-herder conflict in the Mangu local government area, which erupted in 2023, has continued with violence, resulting in numerous fatalities and the destruction of property. This persistent conflict has forced those involved to flee their homes. Although the underlying cause of the conflict remains unclear, current developments indicate that the contention over land resources is the direct cause of the unrest in the Mangu local government area.

Currently, the conflict in Mangu district, including areas like Tyop and Kwaghas Ki Pan Lang, has escalated to forcibly seizing native lands by instilling fear and threats. Adamu Chantu, a local and the Youth Leader of the All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN) in Plateau State, shared his experience: “We are unable to access our farms because the Fulanis have taken over. On my own farm, they have erected tents. They’ve established their dwelling there and have even begun farming parts of my land.”

Adamu elaborated on the situation of a local resident with adjacent land, stating, “My neighbor discovered that his land had already been cultivated when he went to check on it. Consequently, he sought out individuals to redo the farming work and begin anew. At present, the outcome remains uncertain.”

The episodes highlight the tense relationship between the farming and herding communities in the Mangu district of the Mangu local government area in Plateau State.

Mr. Nanle Yusuf Lengtu, a local resident, shared with our Viewpoint correspondent his encounter at Kwaghas Ki Pan Lang during the current rainy season when he visited his farmland. “Upon reaching my farm, I encountered some Fulani youths. They brandished a sharp cutlass at me, warning that any attempt to approach would result in harm. Undeterred, I asserted my invincibility. They retorted, claiming that even if I cultivated the land, they would still bring their cattle to graze on it.”

To thwart the looming danger, Mr. Lengtu disclosed that he resorted to allocating a portion of his land to the Fulani for cultivation, thus preventing the actualization of their menacing intentions. Both indigenous farmers urged law enforcement agencies and the authorities to bolster security measures in the region and implement conflict resolution strategies to reinstate peace and order.

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“They threatened me with a cutlass, warning that if I return to the farm, they will kill me,” recount the native farmers of Mangu, Plateau State.