Fighting between farmers and herdsmen in Nigeria has killed more people this year than attacks by the Boko Haram, a new report by the International Crisis Group (ICG) said.

At least 1,500 people have been killed in clashes between nomadic herders and sedentary farmers in central states since September last year, the group said.

Thursday's report says more than 1,300 Nigerians died from the farmer-herder conflicts between January and June this year, while the death toll from Boko Haram's insurgency was about 250.

This is at least six times higher than the number of people estimated by the UN to have been killed by Boko Haram in the same period, the report said.

The herders and farmers are fighting over land and water in Nigeria's fertile central region.

"It's a fight for resources. Government needs to make a plan to deal with the resource problem on a long-term basis," ICG senior researcher Nnamdi Obasi said.

Election threat
Worsening violence between farmers and herders could hit Nigeria's general election scheduled for next year and 'destabilise' the country, ICG warned.

The report said some progress had been made in tackling the crisis but more needed to be done ahead of elections, which typically heighten the risk of ethnic, religious and political tensions.

"It (the conflict) is exacting an ever deadlier toll and, with elections looming in 2019, could destabilise the country if the government and other actors fail to contain it," it added.

The researchers said the unrest could affect the ability of people to register to vote and political campaigning.

The overstretched police and military were unable to cope and with attacks largely unpunished, communities had taken matters into their own hands.

But much of the tit-for-tat violence has become more planned and involved increasingly well-armed and organised militia, the report said.

Human cost
In the deadliest attack, 11 villages were attacked last month in the Barkin Ladi area of Plateau state, central Nigeria, in which more than 200 people from farming communities were killed.

The ICG said the attacks had rendered more than 300,000 people homeless, with the displaced forced to stay with family and friends or in overcrowded, unsanitary camps.

Local aid agencies were overwhelmed but there was very little help available elsewhere because of the humanitarian crisis sparked by the nine-year Boko Haram insurgency.

"The government response was very poor, partly because it was overly engaged with the Boko Haram insurgency," Obasi said.

Mass displacement has had an effect on food production and was likely to drive up prices, as farmers were unable or unwilling to work the land because of fear of fresh attacks, the report added.


https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2018/07/nigeria-grazing-conflict-deadlier-boko-haram-180726140510011.html

When northern Christians were empowering the Hausa during the civil war to kill Igbo, they didn't know they were creating a monster that will come back to hunt them

And these 4th.most deadly killer fulani herdsmen terrorist group that this government & it's appointees have been shielding & championing their cause

I have said this for the umpteenth time that it is wrong to label a one sided Genocide as farmers herders clash

When terrorist is in power

Because d government turned a blind eye.....mtcheeewww

True talk where they say that if u want peace, give up ur land.

Nothing about the Foolanis obeying the law.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zvK_POZz8NA

Where is buhari

It is not a GRAZING CONFLICT, it is AN ETHNIC CLEANSING

Al jazeera is it your fighting? Or is it your war? Leave them to kill theirselves.

Same people different strategies

Na lie, those herdsmen are Libyans.

A lot of Nigerians don't know that most international news media now report Nigeria's stories in the midst of other war torn countries like Syria, Mali, Afghanistan, Somalia, etc. From CCGN to CNN, France24, BBC, and Al jazeera.

To an average Lagosian, Nigeria is developing because of the efforts from the state Governor, but in the international scene, Nigeria is just another Syria.

Both of them are deadly

Hate seech

Aljazeera is useless for saying this and for hiding words.

It shld have been Fulani herdsmen are deadlier than haram.

Anyways I won’t blame them because aljazeera is also their co Muslim.

sdindan:
Fighting between farmers and herdsmen in Nigeria has killed more people this year than attacks by the Boko Haram, a new report by the International Crisis Group (ICG) said.

Thursday's report says more than 1,300 Nigerians died from the farmer-herder conflicts between January and June this year, while the death toll from Boko Haram's insurgency was about 250.

This is at least six times higher than the number of people estimated by the UN to have been killed by Boko Haram in the same period, the report said.

Just negodu

It's sad how dead people are being counted and compared like dead animals or something

Having recently seen the body of a dead loved one, I feel these news items sort of de-sensitize people from actually feeling the impact.

Any time you read of body counts, always remember that these people are more than just statistics. They were members of FAMILIES. Just like you

Somewhere even after the news item has been read or shared via several blogs, people are still weeping...

GOD bless the dead

�

what you get when your leaders holds animals in higher regards than humans

pyxon:
When northern Christians were empowering the Hausa during the civil war to kill Igbo, they didn't know they were creating a monster that will come back to hunt them

Good governance will change alot in Nigeria. But how do we get the right person?

pyxon:
When northern Christians were empowering the Hausa during the civil war to kill Igbo, they didn't know they were creating a monster that will come back to hunt them

Are we still butthurt about the Civil War?

Is it this bad?

calling a genocide a clash...



see my signature