Residents in Nasarawa state are seeking an end to crisis in the southern senatorial zone which has persisted for sometime now. A cross section of people interviewed by Nasarawa Eye newspaper expressed concern over the lingering problem,lamenting its social and economic toll on the populace and the state in general.
Their pleas are coming against backdrop of approach of the farming season with the first rains having arrived and farmlands being prepared for planting. The people of Nasarawa South comprising of Keana, Obi, Awe, Doma and Lafia local government areas, like those in other parts of the state are majorly farmers who live off proceeds of their farms – for the sustenance and training of their families.

Scores of persons have been killed and thousands displaced by the crisis resulting from clashes between herdsmen and farmers, just as the Tiv socio- cultural body, a major tribe in the southern zone which shares borders with Benue state allege that some of their hinterland communities are being “ransacked” by herdsmen.

Analysts are not sure whether to call them herdsmen or “armed marauders” given their alleged mode of attack. One respondent who wishes to remain anonymous said, ” I don’t even know what to call them because they come and attack us in the evenings or night with guns and run away but we call all of them “Fulani herdsmen”. The Nasarawa state government blames the crisis on enactment of the anti grazing law by the Benue state government which according to it led to influx of people to its border communities in the southern zone, exacerbating tension there and ultimately bursting into crisis.

The displaced persons are scattered in camps in the five local government areas while some others are being sheltered by friends and relatives living in safe areas.

Our findings show that tension is mounting in TiV dominated communities in Lafia as fear and anger are flaring up among them and there has been occasional skirmishes in Lafia.

However, president of indigenous Tiv speaking people in Nasarawa state has urged the various affected communities and people not to contemplate revenge. The association had a meeting with herders association (Miyetti Allah) where both organisations pledged to work for return of peace in the troubled areas and peaceful coexistence. Most of the displaced persons are longing to go back to their homes.

Mr Akpem Johnbull said,” I want to go home life in a refugee camp or in another person’ s house can never be the same. I am calling on the state government, security agencies and all stakeholders to please help us to live a normal life in our villages and do our normal work and farming which is our primary occupation “. Mrs. Theresa Ayum, a teacher whose household is harbouring two of the affected victims echoed similar feelings, adding, ” Please help me ask them to bring this killing and destruction to an end. It is getting too much. I know how much we are now spending to feed these two extra people in my house now. See now rain is coming and people cannot farm, if people cannot farm how will there be food in the land?”

It was observed that the Alamis(Thursday) market in lafia has not been as full as it used to be because attendance by traders from other towns in the zone has been hampered by the crisis.

Nasarawa residents have also been alarmed by breaking out of another crisis
in another flak of it’s border, the western part that has Kogi State as it’s neighbour. It is in the Toto local government area and is a communal crisis between two tribes with several lives lost.

The military are reported to be on the trail of the perpetrators. They have made some arrests and recovered weapons from a militia group there. “Haba, killing, killing everywhere, it is not good, may the Lord help us”, a housewife exclaimed in reaction to the Toto crisis.

Nasarawa Eye gathered the security agencies in the state are reviewing their operations, restrategising and devising more proactive means of combatting security challenges in the state. They are now emphasising intelligence gathering and effective communication with the people, it was learnt.