In a bold move to address the persistent farmer-herder conflicts in the Lagelu Local Government Area, Hon. Mudashiru Kamorudeen on Monday initiated a comprehensive two-week profiling exercise targeting Fulani herdsmen.
The initiative, announced during a pivotal meeting with Fulani herders, traditional rulers, and community stakeholders, aims to foster peace, enhance security, and curb the recurring clashes that have disrupted livelihoods and strained communal harmony in the region.
The meeting, held at the Lagelu Local Government Secretariat in Iyana-Offa, was a melting pot of voices—with varying nomadic herders, traditional rulers and community stakeholders- all united by a shared goal: finding a lasting solution to the tensions between herdsmen and local farmers.
Hon. Mudashiru Kamorudeen, addressing the gathering with a tone of resolve, emphasized the urgency of the situation. “We cannot continue to watch our communities suffer from these avoidable crises. This profiling exercise is a proactive step toward understanding the dynamics of the crises and ensuring peaceful coexistence,” he remarked.
The herder-farmer crisis, a long-standing issue across Nigeria, has been fueled by competition over land resources, exacerbated by climate change, population growth, and the breakdown of traditional grazing routes. In Lagelu, these tensions have occasionally erupted into violence, leaving farmers lamenting destroyed crops and herders decrying cattle rustling or reprisal attacks. The chairman’s initiative seeks to break this cycle by creating a database of Fulani herders operating within the local government area, documenting their identities, settlements, and grazing patterns.
Traditional rulers present at the meeting lauded the chairman’s approach. The Onilagun of Lagun, Oba Munirudeen Arigbabuwo described it as “a bridge to peace,” noting that the profiling would help distinguish law-abiding herders from those exploiting the conflict for criminal activities. “This is not about targeting anyone; it’s about accountability and mutual respect,” he said, urging both herders and farmers to cooperate fully with the exercise.
The profiling exercise, set to commence immediately, will involve local security agencies, community leaders, and trained enumerators who will visit herder settlements across rural areas in Lagelu. Data collected will include names, family sizes, herd numbers, and designated grazing areas, with the goal of mapping out conflict hotspots and facilitating dialogue between herders and farmers.
Hon. Kamorudeen assured participants that the process would be transparent and devoid of intimidation, promising that the results would inform future policies, including potential grazing zones and conflict resolution frameworks. Hon. Mudashiru Kamorudeen’s leadership has ignited hope—a hope that profiling might pave the way for peace in a land where cattle and crops must learn to share the soil.
