Herdsmen / Community clashes in Edo: P4P calls for sustained intervention
Herdsmen / Community clashes in Edo: P4P calls for sustained intervention
By Isaac Eranga
This call was part of the recommendations at the presentation of a narrative report on the intervention by Edo State P4P Prevent Committee on resolving the conflict between herdsmen and Oben/Iguelaba communities in Orhionmwon local government area of Edo State and made available to the Nigerian Observer Newspaper.
According to the Prevent Committee of P4P, "It has been reported in the past five years of encroachment of farmlands by herdsmen in Oben, Iguelaba, and the neighbouring communities. Oben and Iguelaba being the most affected. This has resulted in killings, kidnappings, rape cases, which further led to the displacement of farmers in their farmlands and homes.
"The crisis between the herdsmen and the two communities has resulted to mass migration to the urban area. Farmlands are being occupied by herdsmen and their cattles. There is also severe scarcity of food and other agro products and farmers do not go to their farms again for fear of being killed by the herders.
"This can be buttressed by the publication of PIND conflict tracker of 2017 QC3 which reported the killing of a 52 year old farmer in his farm by herdsmen. There has been attacks and counter attacks/ repraisal attacks of all sorts.
"These and many others triggered the interest of Edo State P4P to carry out interventions between all stakeholders and key actors in these communities", the report said.
According to Edo State coordinator of P4P, Agatha Osieke, "sensitization meetings were conducted to sanitize all warring and relevant stakeholders on the need to shun violence and embrace peace through dialogue.
"These meetings informed all stakeholders of our intention to act as peace mediators in their communities, so as to reduce the crisis affecting the communities.
"In these stakeholders dialogue forums, all the stakeholders that we met individually or collectively in each community were brought together to proffer a lasting solution to the activities of herdsmen and came up with a substantive approach to curb further incidences", said Agatha Osieke.
By Isaac Eranga
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| From right: Agatha Osieke, Esq and a member of Edo P4P Prevent Committee |
Benin City: Partners for Peace (P4P) in the Niger Delta, Edo State chapter, has called on all relevant stakeholders, such as the government, traditional leaders, security agencies, herders, farmers, youth leaders, religious leaders, NGOs, etc., to intensify efforts towards bringing peace in warring communities in Edo State.
This call was part of the recommendations at the presentation of a narrative report on the intervention by Edo State P4P Prevent Committee on resolving the conflict between herdsmen and Oben/Iguelaba communities in Orhionmwon local government area of Edo State and made available to the Nigerian Observer Newspaper.
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| A representative of a warring community during a stakeholder dialogue forum |
"The crisis between the herdsmen and the two communities has resulted to mass migration to the urban area. Farmlands are being occupied by herdsmen and their cattles. There is also severe scarcity of food and other agro products and farmers do not go to their farms again for fear of being killed by the herders.
"This can be buttressed by the publication of PIND conflict tracker of 2017 QC3 which reported the killing of a 52 year old farmer in his farm by herdsmen. There has been attacks and counter attacks/ repraisal attacks of all sorts.
According to Edo State coordinator of P4P, Agatha Osieke, "sensitization meetings were conducted to sanitize all warring and relevant stakeholders on the need to shun violence and embrace peace through dialogue.
"These meetings informed all stakeholders of our intention to act as peace mediators in their communities, so as to reduce the crisis affecting the communities.
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