Taraba Community Urges Strict Enforcement of Open Grazing Prohibition Law

The Munga Dosso community in Karim-Lamido Local Government Area of Taraba State has called on the state government to strictly enforce the anti-open grazing law to stem the tide of violent clashes between herders and farmers.

Mr. Robert Bukar, the Youth Leader of the community, made the appeal on Monday during a press briefing in Jalingo.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that Munga Dosso was recently attacked by suspected herders, resulting in the deaths of 12 residents and the destruction of property worth millions of naira.

Bukar noted that although the anti-open grazing law was signed in 2018 by former Governor Darius Ishaku, it has not been effectively implemented.

“The enforcement of this law is essential to ending the recurring crisis between herders and farmers in Taraba,” he said.

He expressed disappointment over the lack of response from government officials following the attack.

“No representative from the federal, state, or local government visited us. We have elected officials — a senator, a House of Representatives member, and a state assembly member — but none showed up to listen to our concerns or support us in our time of grief.”

According to Bukar, the victims of the attack were buried in a mass grave without any government presence at the funeral.

“Yes, the state government sent relief materials, but that’s not what we needed most at the time. We needed solidarity. The violence has not only taken lives but also caused displacement, injuries, trauma, and widespread insecurity,” he said.

He further lamented the lack of justice for victims of the attacks.

“In many cases, our people are arrested and prosecuted, while the perpetrators of these crimes go unpunished. Even in the most recent attack, some herders were arrested with assault rifles, but they were released the following day.”

Bukar urged the state government to increase security presence in the area to allow displaced farmers to return to their lands safely. He also appealed to the newly established administrative committee of inquiry to thoroughly investigate the attack and bring the perpetrators to justice.

“We are a peace-loving community. We report incidents and cooperate with security agencies, but we are tired of being abandoned. The government must act to prevent further bloodshed and restore stability,” Bukar added.