By: Abubakar Rabilu, Gombe
The Gombe State Government has reactivated the Farmers-Herders Peace Committee and ordered it to step up efforts to prevent clashes during the 2026 farming season.
The government also banned night grazing and grazing on cultivated farms, while warning farmers against encroaching on cattle routes and designated grazing reserves.
Speaking at a meeting of the Farmers/Herders Prevention and Settlement of Disputes Committee in Gombe, the Commissioner for Local Government and Community Development, Barrister Sani Ahmad Haruna, said the committee would provide a platform for resolving disputes before they degenerate into violence.
Haruna said Governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya had directed that the farming season must be peaceful, stressing that no life should be lost over disputes involving farmland or grazing areas.
He directed the 11 local government councils to replicate the committee at the local government, LCDA, district and ward levels to ensure prompt resolution of disputes.
“A cow needs grass to survive, while a farmer needs land to feed his family,” he said, urging both farmers and herders to respect each other’s means of livelihood.
The Commissioner for Agriculture and Food Security, Abdulkadir Waziri Muhammad, said the committee, established in 1999, had played a significant role in promoting peaceful coexistence between farmers and herders in the state.
He said both groups had been directed to avoid activities capable of triggering conflict between October 1 and January 31, particularly night grazing and grazing on farms where crops had yet to be harvested.
Waziri also urged farmers to harvest their crops promptly and avoid burning crop residues, which he said could provide feed for livestock and help reduce tensions.
He said the government would facilitate the restoration, where appropriate, of cattle routes, grazing reserves and other designated livestock areas.
The Commissioner for Livestock Development, Salihu Baba Alkali, said investments in livestock infrastructure, including water facilities, veterinary services, livestock markets and milk collection centres, were aimed at improving productivity and reducing factors contributing to farmer-herder conflicts.
He added that the government was working to demarcate and remap grazing reserves and stock routes.
The Chairman of Miyetti Allah in Gombe, Modibo Yaya, commended the government for promoting dialogue, while the state chairman of AFAN, Modibbo Sadiq Nafada, described the strong government representation at the meeting as evidence of its commitment to addressing farmers-herders challenges.
Meanwhile, the Coordinator of L-PRES, Professor Usman Bello, said a partnership between Gombe State University and a United States university would introduce modern agricultural technologies, including drones, to improve farm operations.
He stressed that peace and security were critical to the success of agricultural and economic development programmes in the state.
