Herders’ Rampage Leaves 5 Injured, ₦20m Produce Destroyed

News in brief:

-Suspected nomadic herders attacked farmlands in Mpape, Abuja, destroying beans and maize valued at more than ₦20m and injuring several farmers.

-Authorities confirm ongoing investigations as violent land-use disputes continue to escalate across Middle Belt communities.

Residents of the Shishimpe community in Mpape, Abuja, are counting heavy losses after suspected nomadic cattle herders invaded their farmlands, destroying over ₦20 million worth of produce and injuring at least five people.

Locals say the attackers stormed the community after being asked to remove grazing cattle from cultivated plots. The confrontation quickly escalated, leaving farmers wounded and crops ruined just weeks before harvest.

Many farmers who spoke with reporters said they were devastated by the scale of destruction.

“Months of hard work are gone in a single day,” one distressed farmer said. “We don’t know how to recover from this.”

Affected residents, including Abdullahi Mohammed, were rushed to the Mpape Health Centre following the assault. Police later intervened to prevent further violence after tensions flared between community youth and the invading herders.

Authorities confirmed that a cow found with severe injuries was released back to the herders on bond after treatment.

Violent Response After Attempt to Protect Farmland

A farmer identified as Musa recounted how he was attacked after urging the herders to leave his crops alone. He said the herders regrouped in large numbers, destroyed his farm and taunted him as he fled for safety.

“They cut my crops with knives and cutlasses. My entire harvest is gone,” he said. “We deserve protection as taxpayers. Now I am left with debt and no produce.”

Across two hectares, beans valued at over ₦2.5 million and maize worth more than ₦1.5 million were reportedly destroyed.

A Conflict With Deep Roots

The Nigeria Violent Conflicts Database recorded 2,347 casualties in 359 farmer–herder incidents between 2020 and 2024, figures analysts believe are far below the true scale.

The Middle Belt remains a major flashpoint, where farmland encroachment, dwindling grazing routes and identity-based tensions often turn violent.

Farmers say herders frequently take advantage of church hours on Sundays, arriving when communities are away and at their most vulnerable.

A police officer attached to the Mpape Division confirmed the incident, noting that both sides sustained losses.

“It was brought under control. Both community leaders and Fulani elders have been engaged to prevent reprisal clashes,” the officer said.

Over 2.2 million people in Benue, Plateau and Nasarawa have been displaced by similar clashes in the past seven years, according to a report by SBM Intelligence. Many now reside in IDP camps, with no farmland to return to.

FG Maintains Open Grazing Not Yet Banned

Despite the escalating violence, the Federal Government insists that no nationwide ban on open grazing has been enacted. Officials say Nigeria is instead transitioning gradually to modern ranching systems to reduce conflicts over land.

The Ministry of Livestock Development claims that pastoralists require structured environments to thrive and that abrupt restrictions could worsen tensions.

For many in Mpape, the latest attack reinforces a grim reality: the cycle of violence continues unchecked, threatening livelihoods and food security.

As planting seasons shrink and threats multiply, rural communities say they feel abandoned, left to defend themselves while Nigeria’s food crisis deepens.