For several years, communities around Bauchi State’s Galambi Cattle Ranch have been a place where herders and farmers co-existed unlike other parts of the state where conflicts are rife.
In the last couple of years, the peace has suffered setbacks, with each group seeing the other as a threat that hinders their co-existence.
For instance, in 2022, herders mostly from far communities continued to graze hectares of farmlands in Galambi resulting in the loss of farm produce worth millions of naira.
During that farming season, herders’ cows destroyed about 300 farmlands cultivated by local peasant farmers in Bauchi, leaving many families facing a shortage of food supplies and hunger.
A media report published in December 2022, revealed the devastating impact of the herders’ incursions and described how such destruction could ignite conflict and worsen the region’s poverty cycle.
The report, together with widespread public outcry, compelled the Bauchi State government to take action. Measures implemented include the eviction of suspected herders from the forest areas.
The steps reduced the destruction, allowing the communities to rebuild and regain stability.
The herders who remained were mostly neighbouring pastoralists who had long coexisted peacefully with farmers.
As these tensions subsided, a new crisis emerged. Instead of maintaining order, security officers including members of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), and local security groups, operating in the area saw an opportunity for exploitation and the fragile peace that had returned to the 3,000-hectare ranch and its neighbouring areas became threatened.
A pattern of extortion persisted, with security officers, exploiting the vulnerability of local farmers in both groups.
Herders as “Cash Cows”
For the herders left behind, life has become a series of indiscriminate arrests, demands for bribes by security officers, and fines payment.
“My neighbour and I were taken to the police, even though we had done no such damage. They took us to the police station and imposed N1.5 million on us. We paid it after spending three days in detention because we had no choice,” said Abdullahi Mobodeji, the herder while describing his ordeal.
That was not enough, the local security outfit, the Bauchi State Peace and Security Committee in the area, particularly at Mararaba, led by Bala Yusuf were waiting for their share, according to Mobodeji.
“Each paid another N150,000 with N50,000 paid to Committee at Mararaba, while N100,000 was used as a bail charge, all for a crime they knew we had not committed.”
Google map of the site of the damaged farmland (red) and where some herders are based (blue)
“Umar and I were forced to pay N580,000 each, totaling N1,160,000, while they sold the cow seized to top up the amount.”
He said herders have no choice but to pay, as refusing could result in extended detention.
According to Mobodeji, the farmers testified that they had seized the cows that entered the farmland, a place Mobodeji vowed that he had never been to. “They seized the cows and why can’t they trace the owners? Instead, they decided to torture and extort us just because we are peace lovers.”
Mobedeji’s ordeal was not an isolated one. Idris Jirr, another community member, revealed that NSCDC personnel demanded N50,000 after a herder named Yahuza Usman had already paid N100,000 to the farmer for damage.
The herders were luckily spared when some stakeholders intervened and found out that it was just another planned extortion.
“It (extortion) has become persistent,” he said. “No matter how minor the issue, they find a way to get money. Sometimes, they even fabricate claims and charges just to extort money from herders.”
Corroborating the story of the aggrieved herder, Abdurrazak Borr, one of the farmers in the affected area, told WikkiTimes: “We seized the cows, but the herder escaped, and we can’t trace him anymore. Two herders were arrested and made to pay compensation instead.”
Footage obtained by WikkiTimes shows that a teenage shepherd Ya’u, while being interrogated disclosed the identity of the herders behind the damage, though none of the detainees was mentioned.
In the short clip, cows were seen grazing on the rice farmland, before being moved away by the farmers. Yet, the owner escaped justice while innocent ones bear the cost.
“They (cows) belong to Abba, his father is Isiaku and the herder (who just escaped) is Baja.”
Ya’u, the goats’ shepherd
Many herders tell similar stories of being falsely accused of farm destruction and detained until they can pay huge amounts or bribes to avoid long-term detention.
Abdurrahman, another herder who paid N130,000 to the Mararaba Committee to avoid being detained for the same damage, said, in reality, some money rarely reaches the farmers. Instead, it lines the pockets of the security officers.
Yakubu Jibrin, a respected figure in the community, confirmed the trend. “It reached a level where, whether a herder destroys a farmland or not, the NSCDC officers will still impose fines,” he stated.
Jibrin recounted how he had petitioned the officer-in-charge (OC) of the NSCDC of the unit Lawrence Patrick to the commandant in Bauchi. “We provided a list of victims who had been extorted – about 12 herders, each paying around N20,000 to N70,000.”
Yakubu himself faced threats and was arrested after demanding that one inflated N2 million damage claim be verified. “In front of the commandant of NSCDC, I read out the list of those illegally extorted by the officers. The issue was later dismissed because it was discovered to be fabricated.”
“But we cannot sympathize with any herder who deliberately do mischief. Just recently, one of my brothers paid N700,000 for damaging a small portion of farmland, and we insisted that he must pay the amount because it was somehow deliberate. We can’t help mischief makers.”
From Protectors to Extortionists
Like many local security groups in Bauchi, Committee, as it is popularly identified, originally established to maintain peace and protect communities from escalating violence, have now become complicit in these corrupt practices, according to Abdullahi Sale, a herder.
“These groups are increasingly imposing exorbitant fines on herders for minor infractions – or none at all.”
He bemoaned that like the officers of the NSCDC, the local security groups pocket the money they collect, adding to the growing tensions between farmers and herders.
“The local security outfit was supposed to help keep the peace, but now they have become part of the problem. They are imposing fines on herders for everything. This is only making things worse.”
Farmers Feel the Consequences
Moses Dauda, another affected farmer, described how they navigated these challenges: “They damaged our farmland, but we settled. We were nine, and each received N130,000.
For Dauda, “Herders must understand that agricultural produce benefits everyone. They should make efforts to prevent such incidents.”
While herders bear the brunt of these extortions, farmers are not spared from the consequences.
With damages done to their farmlands, they still fall victim to the officers who meant to help, but in reality turn otherwise.
Shuaibu Sale, a local farmer whose farm was also damaged explained “We were told that the fines collected from herders would go to compensate us for the damage to our crops, but sometimes they impose fines that we would never see.”
The Risk of Escalation
This unchecked exploitation is pushing the fragile peace in the area toward a tipping point. The situation in Galambi Cattle Ranch and surrounding villages is reminiscent of the early stages of the banditry crisis that has devastated Nigeria’s Northwest.
“Now, Bauchi State, particularly communities surrounding Galambi Cattle Ranch, risks falling into the same cycle of violence unless action is taken to make the officers halt,” Malam Isa Adamu, one of the residents cautioned.
The growing distrust of security personnel among herders and many farmers is a major concern. While many herders feel they are being targeted unfairly, with some even comparing their treatment to that of criminals, farmers, on their part, are losing faith in the promise of justice.
For retired Brigadier General Mohammed B. Ibrahim, a security expert, the situation, worsened by climate change and a fragile security architecture, now deepens mistrust within communities.
“Local vigilantes are not trained security experts, and many security agents operating in these areas are not native indigenes. The primary aim of some of them is to accumulate wealth, not foster peace,” Ibrahim explained.
The retired army officer also traced the problem to historical changes. “Native authorities were stripped of their power in the 1970s, leaving a governance vacuum in rural communities virtually unaddressed,” he lamented.
Communities That Found Peace
While extortion runs rampant in many areas, not all communities succumb to these practices. Abdullahi Dogo Jamda, a titleholder, noted that in the Jamda community, peace prevails due to the proactive measures of their traditional leaders.
“We handle such cases without bias, and our village head has even established cattle routes to prevent herder/farmer conflicts,” he explained, urging other local leaders to also take charge of their responsibilities and ensure fairness.
Hamza Abdullahi Buzaye, Chairman of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association, also lamented the prevalence of extortion, particularly near the Galambi forest by the officers. “It was so widespread, and we had to intervene.”
Buzaye called on herders to respect farmland boundaries and farmers to avoid unfair judgments against innocent herders.
Committee Denies Alleged Extortion
Bala Yusuf, Chairman of the Bauchi State Peace and Security Committee overseeing its operation in Mararaba Liman Katagum, denied allegations of extortion involving his office.
In an exclusive interview with WikkiTimes, Yusuf asserted that there is no evidence of such transactions between his group and any herder, emphasizing his role as a mediator who has successfully resolved numerous farmer-herder disputes.
“I have become a mediator and have succeeded in settling several cases involving farmers and herders,” Yusuf said.
He highlighted that the farmland destruction by herders in the area has drastically reduced compared to previous years. “In the last two years, it was agreed that no matter how minor the damage was, the herder must pay not less than N300,000. However, as things normalized, this policy is no more.”
Yusuf elaborated on his efforts to support both farmers and herders, citing his opposition to a proposed total eviction of herders from the Galambi Cattle Ranch. “Galambi Cattle Ranch belongs to both farmers and herders. I was the one that strongly objected to the total eviction of herders from the ranch,” he explained.
He identified the obstruction of animal routes by farmers as one of the main causes of disputes in the area. “The state government directed that certain areas close to main roads and on hills should not be cultivated, but this directive is often ignored.”
Yusuf stressed that there is no documented evidence of these accusations in his office records, and urged the public to disregard such claims.
Addressing concerns about crackdowns on innocent herders, Yusuf said his officers act strictly based on clear evidence.
Despite his claim, herders like Mobodeji fell victim to evils done by someone who escaped justice. “We have a video clip showing the specific cows that grazed on farmland, though the herder managed to escape,” he acknowledged.
He pointed out situations where young children are left herding cattle, which often leads to inadvertent damage to farmland, highlighting Mobodeji’s ordeal as one of the instances.
NSCDC Declines to Respond
On November 13, 2024, this reporter visited the NSCDC command in Bauchi seeking comments from the officers but was unable to obtain any.
Instead, Saminu Joshua Yusuf, the command’s spokesperson, told the reporter to submit a formal letter addressed to the Commandant, Oloyede Nelson Oyerinde, which the reporter did. But there has been no response.
Despite following up with reminders, weeks passed without any response to the letter.
According to retired BM Ibrahim, both farmers and herders are suffering under this system with farmers left frustrated by damages with unmet promises of compensation, while herders face limited grazing lands cultivated by farmers.
He emphasized that reforms are essential to break this cycle, calling on the government to modernize farming methods and provide tools to empower both farmers and herders to mitigate the tensions.
This report was published with support and funding from Civic Media Lab
