Herders have paid N4.5 million in compensation to 38 farmers after their farms were destroyed in Dambwash, Danbukor and Fokko villages, Bokkos Local Government Area (LGA) of Plateau State.
Acting Ardo of the area, Isa Shiga Dajji, told media reports that the payment was made to foster mutual understanding and discourage others from engaging in similar acts, adding that “for there to be peace, there must be peace.”
He said the compensation was paid in instalments, noting that the latest payment represented the final tranche, while urging both farmers and herders to stay calm and strengthen their relationships.
The Ardo recalled that after the farms were destroyed, they, as a community, stepped up efforts to locate those behind the incident, adding that they swiftly identified them and made them pay the compensation.
According to media reports, the compensation was based on an agreement reached on August 19, 2026, after the farms were allegedly destroyed on August 16, 2026.
Troops of Sector 5, Operation Enduring Peace, Bokkos, helped broker an amicable settlement between the affected farmers and herders on Saturday, September 12.
Representatives of all parties involved in the dispute attended the settlement, including the Ardo of Tarangol District, who took part in the reconciliation process.
The herders thereafter fulfilled the agreement by paying N4.5 million to the 38 affected farmers as compensation for the destroyed farms.
The military said the settlement was peacefully concluded without any incident.
According to media reports, the development underscores the importance of community-based conflict resolution in preventing disputes, particularly between farming and herding communities, from escalating into violence and the loss of livestock and human lives.
Security agencies have continued to urge affected communities to pursue peaceful means of resolving disputes and refrain from reprisal attacks or taking the law into their own hands, which could further heighten tensions.
