Nkuv farmers arrested over farmer-grazier conflict

Several Nkuv farmers have been arrested and detained at the Kumbo police station following a farmer/grazier conflict that erupted in Nkuv on October, 20.

The farmers were alleged to have embarked on the burning of huts belonging to graziers, wounding some cows in the process and roasting some calves for a feast as graziers in turn allowed their herd to trample of crops of farmers.

After the incident, the Ardo of Nkuv, Ardorate Ardo Salifu Majaille and other graziers ran to the divisional officer of Kumbo and reported the matter.

The Shufai of Nkuv also went to the divisional officer of Kumbo the same day but was detained at the Kumbo police.

The famer/grazier commission with the divisional officer of Kumbo as the chairman and accompanied by the police visited the scene on October, 21 to assess the damage caused to crops, the huts burnt down and the cows either wounded or killed. They took shots of the scene as evidence for legal action.

The number of huts burnt down or cows wounded and killed are yet to be disclosed. As this reporter visited the Kumbo police on October 23 to gather facts of the conflict from the Kumbo brigade commander but could not meet him despite waiting for over 1 hour.

While at the police station that afternoon, farmers who trekked all the way from Nkuv to Kumbo to secure the release of their colleagues were chased away by armed police and elements of Rapid Intervention Battalion, BIR.

The farmers are bearing grudges against the graziers that they have not been compensated for the last destruction caused to their maize farms. More to this, the farmers claim that the evaluation of their destroyed crops was carried out and some farmers have been paid while others are yet to be compensated.

It is against this backdrop of non-compensation paid that the destruction of crops including beans and other perennial crops on of October 20 caused the tempers of the farmers to flare up for them to go on rampage.

The conflict between the farmers and the graziers keeps on coming up every year and the best way to resolve it, observers say, is for a demarcation to be made between grazing land and farm land.

Some quarters are of the opinion that peaceful settlement of the conflict between the farmers and graziers is better than court settlement that would not give the problem a long lasting solution.