Nigerian Chief of Defence Staff, CDS, Christopher Musa, has said that there is nothing like a farmers-herders clash, insisting that it is the animal that goes after the farm.
Addressing newsmen on Tuesday, the Chief of Defence Staff highlighted the three main issues behind the incessant killings in Benue State and other parts of the country.
He also noted that the issue of animal rustling, which could also be linked to the movement of animals, must be addressed.
The CDS said that the issue of land, which results in violent attacks between indigenes and nonindigenes, has become critical and only has a political solution.
The army chief pointed out that most of those problems would go away once animals stopped moving, therefore calling on the government to provide political solutions to the conflicts.
“Now, from what I have observed, two or three basic things, one is the issue of land, [between] indigene and non-indigene, [is] critical, which is political. That’s supposed to be sorted out politically.
“Secondly, the issue of the movement of animals. I’ve told people over time that when they say farmer headers clash, clash means two things are moving. But if a farm is [just there] and an animal comes in, it is not a clash, it’s somebody entering somebody’s [asset]. So we must find solutions to how, which means if the animals don’t move, we don’t have issues.
“Now again, because of that, we have issues of rustling of animals, which means if we don’t even rustle animals again that are moving again, there won’t be most of this problem.
“So that we must be able to address, and as I said, most of it is a political solution that needs to come into it because it is not what the military can solve. What we can stop is to try and stop people from attacking people.”
Reported that over 200 people were burnt alive in one of the latest herdsmen attacks in the Yelwata community of Guma Local Government Area of Benue State.
The incident, which has attracted global condemnation, has continued to garner reactions across the country.