Despite anti-open grazing laws in 19 Nigerian states, herders-farmers’ clashes have killed at least 2,800 people in five years, with weak enforcement blamed on politics, security failures, and resistance from herders.
At least 2,800 people have been killed in herders-farmers’ clashes linked to open grazing in Nigeria over the past five years, despite anti-open grazing laws in 19 states, a new tally has shown.
Data from Nextier’s Violent Conflict Database revealed that between 2020 and 2024, 359 incidents left 2,349 people dead. In 2024 alone, 467 fatalities were recorded from 61 incidents. Vanguard’s collation indicated that in the first eight months of 2025, 451 people had died, with Benue (254), Plateau (121), and Nasarawa (20) worst affected.
The clashes have displaced an estimated 2.2 million people in Benue, Plateau, and Nasarawa since 2019. Although all 17 southern states and two northern states have enacted anti-open grazing laws, enforcement remains weak. Security agencies cite a lack of directives from the federal government, while police officers admit fear of confronting armed herders.
Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association argued that open grazing cannot be abandoned abruptly. “Pastoralism is a way of life, and tradition and culture are attached to it, so there is no way it can be discarded overnight,” said its secretary-general, Alhaji Bello Aliyu Gotomo. He described ranching as “capital intensive,” stressing herders must be motivated to embrace modern livestock methods.
But Benue leaders dismissed the claim. “Miyetti Allah is joking, they do not own Nigeria… Laws are made to be obeyed,” said Chief Iorbee Ihagh of Mzough U Tiv. Analysts and farmers insist government must show political will, noting that the powerful interests behind cattle ownership undermine enforcement.
While some states like Oyo report limited success in seizing and auctioning cattle, in many others the laws “exist only on paper,” raising concerns over food security, displacement, and rising insecurity.