The Jukun people of Taraba State have alleged that there are calculated attempts by the Federal Government of Nigeria, to create 33 grazing reserves spanning approximately 785 square kilometres of land for Fulani pastoralists, cutting across 11 Local Governments in the State.

The allegation was raised by the Jukun Progressive Forum, yesterday in Jos the Plateau State Capital, through its leader Mr. Jibrin Amfani, while briefing journalists, warning that making such a reality will portend serious danger for the State.

Amfani said, “We have discovered a plot to push us out of our land and we are telling the whole world categorically that we will resist anybody that will try to push us out of our land.

“We got this land by conquest, long before Nigeria was even created. Even with that, we were magnanimous and gave parts of our land to pastoralist who begged for enclaves to graze their cattle, but see how we are being squeezed out now”.

“Today, history appears to be repeating itself. Just out of the blue in an effort to sell Jukun land to their kinsmen, a document containing a proposal for creating 33 grazing reserves exclusively for Fulani herdsmen surfaced in Taraba State.

According to him, the proposed grazing reserves are said to have been duly surveyed and demarcated by some supporters and collaborators of the Fulanis, without informing the land owners.

The Elder statesman who served under Sardauna of Sokoto as General Officer, maintained that, the proposed grazing reserves in question include the following, “Wukari with 7 areas covering 241 square kilometres, Karim Lamido with 4 areas covering 82 square kilometres, Bali with 3 areas, Gassol with 4 areas covering 153 square kilometres Jalingo with 1 area covering 20 square kilometres, Yorro with 3 areas covering 35 square kilometres, Lau with 2 areas covering 16 square kilometres, Zing with 2 areas covering 39 square kilometres, Takum with 2 areas covering 175 square kilometres, Kurmi with 1 area and Ardo Kola with 4 areas covering 199 square kilometres.

He lamented that, the cattle breeders may have been misinformed about the “so called proposed grazing reserves”, hence they have been terrorising the people of the aforementioned areas since 2013.

“As we address you, our people have been forced out of their ancestral lands by the well-armed Fulani headers and their mercenaries.

“It should therefore be clearly made known that the people of Taraba South Senatorial District can no longer fold their hands and see their land being arbitrarily allocated to Fulani herdsmen in the guise of providing grazing reserves without following due processes and ensuring equity, fair play and justice to traditional land owners as provided by the law.

The group appealed to the Taraba State Government to investigate how the grazing reserves came about.

Amfani stressed that, “Netherlands and United States of America are major breeders of cattle, but they don’t roam about with them, they have ranches. I believe similar measures should be adopted in Nigeria, to avoid conflict between herdsmen and farmers.

“We the Jukun people are predominantly farmers, who grow crops for subsistence, so we cannot be deprived of our livelihood in the name of grazing reserves”.

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Grazing Reserves: Jukun Progressives Forum warns FG about secret plan