By Muhammad Sani Muazu
The Chairman of Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore, Bauchi State Chapter, Alhaji Muhammad Hussaini, has warned farmers in the state against cultivating rocky and roadside areas to prevent a fresh wave of farmer-herder clashes.
Alhaji Hussaini stated this while speaking to journalists in Bauchi following the recent constitution of a committee by the state governor to find a lasting solution to the farmer-herder crisis in the state.
He explained that rocky areas remain the only available grazing spaces for herders to feed their animals, appealing to farmers to avoid planting crops in such locations to avert conflicts.
“We have been calling on herders to restrain their animals, but with the increasing number of herders returning to Bauchi, we can no longer continue like that,” he said.
He noted that the committee, which includes the Commissioner of Police, the Director of the Department of State Services (DSS), and other security agencies, has clearly stated that roadsides and rocky areas should not be used for farming, warning that any farmer who violates the agreement does so at their own risk.
“Farmers should desist from farming along roadsides, especially within 30 meters of the road, as it is against the agreement reached. If farmers plant in these areas and animals graze there, they should not complain,” he added.
However, Alhaji Hussaini emphasized that if herders allow their animals to graze on farmlands outside the restricted areas, they will be held responsible for any destruction caused.
He also called on Fulani traditional leaders to caution their members against breaking the law, stressing that Miyetti Allah will not support any of its members found violating agreed guidelines.
“I am calling on the Fulani people to be law-abiding, and we will not support any form of law-breaking from any of our members,” he said.
Alhaji Hussaini also appealed to farmers to respect herders’ rights and adhere to the agreements in place to promote peaceful coexistence.
He expressed concern that if farmers and herders fail to respect these boundaries, the increasing number of animals returning to Bauchi could trigger a crisis if proactive measures are not taken.