Govt's Gross Incompetence Aided Herdsmen Killings in Nigeria - AI

Amnesty International Nigeria says 3,641 people were killed between 2016 and 2018 in the conflict between herdsmen and farmers across the country, a number they say would have been significantly reduced had security operatives acted accordingly.

A statement by Isa Sanusi, Media Manager of Amnesty International Nigeria, issued on Monday, noted that in some cases, security operatives were given prior warning of the attacks, but "did nothing to stop or prevent the killings, looting and burning of homes".

A report entitled 'Harvest of Death: Three Years of Bloody Clashes Between Farmers and Herders', revealed that more of the deaths occured in 2018.

Providing a background for the report, the organisation noted: "Farmers-herders raids and counter-raids have been going on seasonally across northern Nigeria for decades but started escalating in 1999. Since 2017, the conflicts have become increasingly deadly as deteriorating environmental conditions have compelled herders to move southward for pasture. The conflicts have become increasingly deadly as many factors have contributed to this, including deteriorating environmental conditions, population growth and proliferation of small arms in Nigeria.

"The Nigerian authorities’ failure to investigate communal clashes and bring perpetrators to justice has fuelled a bloody escalation in the conflict between farmers and herders across the country, resulting in at least 3,641 deaths in the past three years and the displacement of thousands more, Amnesty International revealed today."

In the report, Amnesty International found that 57 per cent of the 3,641 recorded deaths occurred in 2018. Security forces were often positioned close to the attacks, which lasted hours and sometimes days, yet were slow to act. In some cases, security forces had prior warning of an imminent raid but did nothing to stop or prevent the killings, looting and burning of homes."

Speaking on the organisation's findings, Osai Ojigho, Director of Amnesty International Nigeria, said: “The Nigerian government has displayed what can only be described as gross incompetence and has failed in its duty to protect the lives of its population and end the intensifying conflict between herders and farmers. The authorities’ lethargy has allowed impunity to flourish and the killings to spread to many parts of the country, inflicting greater suffering on communities who already live in constant fear of the next attack.

“Our research shows that these attacks were well-planned and coordinated, with the use of weapons like machine guns and AK-47 rifles. Yet, little has been done by the authorities in terms of prevention, arrests and prosecutions, even when information about the suspected perpetrators was available.”

Amnesty International started documenting clashes between farmers and herders from January 2016. Between August 2017 and September 2018, its researchers conducted 10 field trips to 56 villages in five states.

The report is based on 262 interviews with victims, eyewitnesses, community leaders, medical practitioners, religious leaders and government officials, including members of the security forces. Researchers also analysed 230 documents, including medical records and reports by the security forces.

According to the organisation, "villagers in all the areas visited described losing everything as their homes were burnt and their food supplies carted away by attackers. Since 2016, both sides in the conflict have increasingly sought to destroy each other’s livelihood with herders setting fire to farms and farmers engaging in cattle rustling".

Continuing, Ojigho said: “The root cause of this conflict has nothing to do with religion or ethnicity; it is largely about land and access to grazing. But in some places, because of the failures of the security forces, competition over resources is used as a pretext to kill and maim along ethnic or religious lines. The conflict has also been dangerously politicized by some state government officials who have inflamed tensions by embarking on a blame game along political party lines".

According to the report, at least 310 attacks were recorded between January 5, 2016 and October 5, 2018. The attacks were most frequent in Adamawa, Benue, Kaduna, Taraba and Plateau. Other parts of the country including Enugu, Ondo, Oyo, Delta and Edo also recorded attacks.

In her remarks on the need for Nigerian authorities to act, Ojigho said: “Authorities must investigate the slow response time of security forces that has resulted in shockingly high casualties. As part of this process, the security forces’ leadership should scrutinize the role of individual commanders, while governments across the affected states must provide appropriate compensation to the victims of the conflicts.

“The Nigerian authorities must immediately initiate independent, effective and impartial investigations into all human rights violations and abuses perpetrated during the farmers-herders conflicts, whether by state or non-state actors. The findings of these investigations must be made public, and where there is sufficient admissible evidence, those responsible must face prosecution in fair trials.”