Kidnappings, Robberies Threaten Livestock Farmers in Kwara State

News in Brief

-Persistent kidnappings and robberies in Kwara’s Omu Aran and Eruku towns pose severe risks to cattle farmers, many of whom have been targeted or had family members abducted.

-The atmosphere of fear further worsens the challenge of dry-season farmers for cattle rearers as ethnic tensions rise amid the displacement of Fulani and Bororo immigrants.

Amidst the ongoing security crisis in Kwara state, farmers, especially cattle rearers, are being targeted by kidnappers and armed robbers in towns across the state. The current situation of unrest and threat to lives has created an atmosphere of fear for the farmers who are already stressed by the onset of the dry season.

In the past few months, a significant number of the victims of these kidnappings, especially in towns like Omu Aran, Eruku and environs, have been cattle rearers who often stay in rural settlements and herd their cows to the bush.

According to Mr Moses Sunday, a livestock farmer in Omu Aran, many cattle rearers in Eruku have either been kidnapped or had their family members kidnapped by these gunmen.

“They are targeting us because they believe cattle rearers are rich. Whenever they descend to a cattle farm, their target is always the owner of the farm; if they don’t meet him, then they kidnap his family members, like his wife and children,” he said.

He added that they also resort to carting away livestock if they are unable to kidnap any human during their operation.

Debts for Survivors

Several victims of these kidnappings are never in good standing upon their return. For those who return, they are often thrown into debt because most of these farmers own only a few of the cows in their herd; the rest are either loaned for breeding or investments made by clients expecting returns at the end of the year.

The kidnappers kill some victims because their families couldn’t raise the money, or even due to maltreatment.

Moses noted that while there have been recorded cases in his hometown, Eruku town is the most affected, with attacks happening almost every day. 

This town experienced another violent attack on a church during a livestreamed service, which has now gone viral. At least two people were confirmed dead, and an unspecified number of residents were abducted in the attack on Tuesday.

Many farmers, according to him, now live and move in fear. They often can’t even stay in their homes or take their cows too far from secure areas to graze because of the security threat.

With the onset of the dry season, this has a significant implication for livestock survival because herds often need to move further into the bush to graze on fresh pastures and drink water from streams, which are usually unavailable in residential areas.

Cattle also face a higher risk of ingesting hazardous materials, such as plastics that cannot be digested, when they graze in residential areas filled with human waste.

Tension strains inter-ethnic relationships and  tolerance

The tense situation has also prompted some hostile actions targeted at other ethnic residents who are immigrants in the town. In Omu Aran, several immigrant residents who are from the Fulani and Bororo tribes were recently exiled because of allegations that they are abetting the kidnappers and armed robbers who are attacking the residents.

A large number of these immigrants, who had moved to the town several years ago, were forced out on very short notice. 

While the residents maintained that it was not violent and none of them were harmed or injured, this forceful displacement has made many of them lose their shelter and livelihoods.