Open Grazing Conflicts Claim 2,800 Lives in Five Years as State Laws Struggle with Enforcement

At least 2,800 people have died from violent herder-farmer clashes over open grazing in Nigeria over the past five years, according to documented incidents and figures compiled by Nextier’s Violent Conflict Database and Saturday Vanguard.

Between 2020 and 2024, Nextier recorded 359 incidents across the country, resulting in 2,349 deaths. In the first eight months of 2025 alone, an additional 451 deaths were reported, bringing the total to 2,800. Benue led the death toll with 254 lives lost this year, followed by Plateau (121) and Nasarawa (20). Other affected states include Ondo (25), Ebonyi (16), Enugu (4), Edo (3), Taraba (3), Delta (2), and Imo (1). These figures are believed to be conservative due to under-reporting.

In the same period, an estimated 2.2 million people were displaced in Benue, Plateau, and Nasarawa states due to the crisis.

Despite the anti-open grazing laws passed by 19 states, including all 17 Southern states and two in the North—Benue and Taraba—implementation has largely failed due to lack of federal backing, enforcement constraints, and security challenges.

Resistance and Realities: Miyetti Allah’s Position

Alhaji Bello Aliyu Gotomo, National Secretary-General of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN), admitted the group’s control of 95% of livestock production in Nigeria and acknowledged the advantages of ranching. However, he insisted open grazing could not be abandoned overnight due to deep-rooted cultural practices and the high cost of ranching.

“Pastoralism is a way of life, and tradition and culture are attached to it, so there is no way it can be discarded overnight… Ranching is a capital-intensive activity,” Gotomo said.

He emphasized the need for government support and gradual adoption of modern livestock systems.

Why Enforcement Has Failed

Multiple sources, including top police officers, cited the Federal Government’s refusal to direct the Nigerian Police Force to enforce state-level laws as a major obstacle. A senior police commissioner told Saturday Vanguard:

“There is no law restricting the movement of Nigerians from one state to another… so we cannot stop or arrest herders because some people allege that they move their cows from one place to another.”

Instances in Delta State, where local officials attempting to enforce anti-grazing laws were reportedly intimidated by police, highlight the institutional resistance.

Moreover, many herders are reportedly fronts for powerful Nigerians, including individuals in government and security services, further frustrating enforcement efforts.

State Responses and Challenges

Delta State House Speaker Emomotimi Guwor acknowledged the law is being flouted and said security agencies are not providing local governments the support needed to implement it.

“Local government chairmen complain that they face the challenge of cooperation from security personnel,” Guwor said.

Similarly, Justice Miakpor Emiaso (Rtd) said that Southern and Middle Belt states lacked the political will to enforce laws for fear of offending “powerful northerners.”

In Edo State, Comrade Jay Usiegbu, Chairman of the All Farmers Association of Nigeria, accused influential individuals—including security personnel—of sabotaging enforcement:

“The law is there but it is not being enforced… I personally lost over N4 million to them on my watermelon farm.”

In Oyo State, retired Justice Aderonke Aderemi noted progress, explaining that the Oyo State Rule of Law Enforcement Authority arrests cows and sells them to compensate farmers if herders don’t show up to claim them within seven days.

Stakeholder Reactions

Chief Iorbee Ihagh, President General of Mzough U Tiv, stated firmly:

“Miyetti Allah is joking… They cannot tell us what to do. Laws are made to be obeyed.”

Pastor David Ogbole, a public affairs analyst, dismissed the “cultural” justification for open grazing as an excuse to avoid the cost of ranching:

“They are simply avoiding the cost… It is not a matter of culture; it is a matter of economy.”

In Akwa Ibom, Dr. Joseph Ambakaderimo of the South-South Reawakening Group blamed political reluctance:

“Governors and security agencies are giving excuses… Until culprits are punished, these laws will remain idle.”

Meanwhile, CP Baba Mohammed Azare, Commissioner of Police in Akwa Ibom, blamed poor cooperation:

“We urge farmers to report any incident… rather than taking the law into their own hands.”

At the University of Uyo, Vice Chancellor Prof. Nyaudoh Ndaeyo lamented repeated destruction of the institution’s agricultural demonstration farms by roaming cattle, saying:

“It is a serious problem… but we are helpless.”

Rivers, Edo, and More: Laws Without Action

In Rivers State, despite the anti-grazing law signed by former Governor Wike in 2021, open grazing remains widespread.

Zik Gbemre of the Niger Delta Peace Coalition accused governments of “playing politics with the law,” while activist Omobude Agho questioned the existence of any enforceable anti-open grazing law in Edo.

“I believe Obaseki did it and went to hide it… nobody has seen that law,” Agho stated.

Experts Call for National Reform

Mr. Stephen Adewale, former Ondo SDP chairman, identified five key barriers to implementation:

1. Lack of institutional capacity;
2. Federal control over security;
3. Political interference;
4. Absence of viable alternatives like ranches;
5. Corruption and elite complicity.

Otunba Kole Omololu of Afenifere added that the lack of a national anti-grazing law further weakens state-level efforts.

“While anti-open grazing laws exist at the state level, the absence of a national framework and weak enforcement mechanisms render them largely ineffective,” he said.

Conclusion

Despite growing death tolls, displacements, and a rising number of states with anti-open grazing laws, enforcement remains weak. Experts and stakeholders agree: without federal support, political will, and security cooperation, the laws will continue to exist only on paper—while communities pay the price.