RismadarVoice Reporters
October 25, 2026
A coalition of pastoralist organisations has rejected the generalisation of Fulani herders as bandits, kidnappers and terrorists, calling on President Bola Tinubu to convene a national dialogue to address recurring farmer-herder conflicts and killings across Nigeria.
The groups, operating under the Confederation of Pastoralist Non-Governmental Organisations (CONPA), appealed to a peace and security gathering in Abuja on Sunday.
Speaking on behalf of the coalition, Dr Muhammad Hussein Buzaye of the Kautal Pulaaku Fulbe Association of Nigeria condemned what he described as the unfair profiling of Fulani communities over criminal activities.
The coalition maintained that individuals involved in kidnapping, banditry and other crimes should be investigated and prosecuted without associating their offences with an entire ethnic group.
It alleged that hundreds of pastoralists, including women, children and elderly people, had been killed in attacks across Plateau, Niger, Sokoto, Kebbi, Zamfara and other states in recent months.
The organisations also claimed that thousands of cattle had been stolen or killed, while pastoral settlements had been destroyed, leaving families displaced.
They called for independent investigations into the reported attacks, prosecution of those responsible and humanitarian assistance for affected communities.
The coalition further urged the Federal Government to strengthen the Federal Ministry of Livestock Development by allocating at least 30 per cent of the agricultural budget to its programmes.
It demanded the protection and formal gazetting of 417 identified grazing reserves, alongside the establishment of pilot ranches and fodder production centres across Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones.
The Federal Government had earlier announced plans to rehabilitate the 417 grazing reserves and commenced a pilot ranching programme in Plateau State.
On insecurity, the pastoralist groups claimed that farmer-herder conflicts had caused more than 20,000 deaths over the past decade, although the figure was not independently verified.
They proposed a presidential dialogue involving pastoralist and farmers’ associations, traditional rulers, religious organisations, security agencies and state governments.
According to the coalition, the process should address accountability, compensation, reconciliation and practical measures for peaceful coexistence.
The groups also acknowledged the responsibilities of pastoralist communities, urging herders to prevent cattle from entering cultivated farmland, respect farmers’ property and cooperate with security investigations.
They encouraged their members to reject violence, report criminal activities and resolve disputes through lawful means.
The coalition maintained that lasting peace would require equal protection under the law, dialogue between affected communities and sustainable investment in livestock development.
