Military issues Stern Warning Over Farmer-Herder Clashes in Plateau
Jos Afrik24 – In a decisive bid to maintain peace as the rainy season begins, Major General Folusho Oyinlola has declared that no human life should be sacrificed over rustled cattle or destroyed farmlands.
The General Officer Commanding (GOC) 3 Division and Commander of Operation ENDURING PEACE issued the stern warning during a high-level stakeholders’ engagement held on Tuesday in the Shendam Local Government Area of Plateau State.
Addressing community members and leaders, Oyinlola strongly cautioned individuals against taking the law into their own hands, emphasizing that established legal procedures and dispute resolution channels exist to handle clashes between farmers and herders and urging aggrieved parties to report incidents to the appropriate authorities rather than resorting to violence.
The military commander, who was represented at the event by Brig-Gen Musa Sule, the Chief of Staff Operation ENDURING PEACE, stressed that the command will no longer tolerate bloodshed stemming from these agrarian conflicts.
He warned that anyone caught engaging in acts of violence or destruction would face decisive military action, reiterating that the command will not ignore early warning signs of unrest, noting also that collective, timely action is vital to prevent communities like Shendam, Mikang, Langtang North, Langtang South, and Qua’an-Pan from sliding into avoidable chaos.
Speaking at the event, the Chairman Qua’an-Pan Local Government Area, Hon. Christopher Wallat said although the region has not recently experienced widespread farmer-herder conflict, but described the military’s engagement as a timely intervention that will effectively disrupts the plans of potential mischief-makers just as the farming season commences.
Earlier in his remarks, the Commander, Sector 9, Operation ENDURING PEACE, Lieutenant Colonel Rasheed Briamo, spoke under the theme, “Deepening Stakeholders Collaboration Towards Consolidating On The Security Gains For The Farming Season.”
Briamo highlighted the critical importance of the farming season to national agricultural productivity and overall development, underscoring the military’s commitment to ensuring a safe environment where both farmers and herders can pursue their livelihoods without fear.
Responding, village heads, community leaders, and traditional chiefs from the five local government areas voiced their unique concerns and proposed collaborative solutions for peaceful coexistence.
While expressing deep gratitude to the GOC for organizing the dialogue at such a pivotal time, the attendees also witnessed a direct show of support from the military.
As part of its non-kinetic intervention strategy to foster goodwill and boost local agriculture, Operation ENDURING PEACE distributed over 950 bags of fertilizer to farmers across five LGAs.
