Fulani herdsmen, other tribes in Nasarawa community sign peace agreement

Fulani herdsmen and other tribes in Doma Local Government Area of Nasarawa State on Monday in Doma, Nasarawa state, signed an agreement to maintain the peace.

Our correspondent reports that the peace deal was brokered by an international Non-Governmental Organization ‘Search for Common Ground’ (SCG).

Speaking at the occasion, Mr Sani Suleiman, Senior Programme Manager of SCG said the move would facilitate reconciliation effort in the area.

Suleiman called on affected parties to respect, not only the terms of agreement, but also the culture, tradition and means of livelihood of each other.

“We have also worked in the North East, Southern Kaduna, South/South, Plateau and other communities that were engulfed in crisis.

“What we do mainly is to organized peace meetings and workshops for the affected communities; we allow people from the affected communities play active role for them to appreciate the importance of living together irrespective of their differences,” Suleiman said.

He then advised people to adopt alternative dispute resolution mechanisms whenever applied options failed.

Also speaking, John Ogah, the representative of the Andoma of Doma (traditional ruler) and Patu Musa-Zaidu, Director of Personnel Management (DPM) of Doma council, cautioned people against taking the laws into their hands.

The duo promised to continue to collaborate with security agencies to ensure prompt response to any security challenge in the area so as to avoid a repeat of whatever happened in the past.

They also urged both famers and the Fulani herdsmen not to encroach into farmlands and cattle routes respect, to avoid conflict.

Lawel Ardo-Dano, the representative of Fulani herdsmen, attributed clashes between farmers and herdsmen to activities of child shepherds, as well as the blockage of cattle routes by farmers.

He warned herdsmen against sending children to rear cows or rearing animals in the night, adding that any herdsman caught violating these directives, would be sanctioned.

Our correspondent reports that the meeting was attended by the Fulani, Alagos, Eggons, Madas, Tivs, Migilis tribesmen,as well as traditional rulers and security agents in the area.