NW governor addresses conflicts amongst cattle rearers

The Governor of the north west region, Adolf Lele L’Afrique has been holding series of security and crisis meetings to put an end to what now appears to be a conflict that could result in a bloodshed amongst cattle rearing communities in Bum subdivision, Boyo division of the North West region.

The first in a series of crisis meetings held at the Boyo SDO’s office on 23rd September brought together the belligerent grazier communities as well as the top security and administrative officials of the division.

Given the gravity of the allegations, Governor Lele’ L’A frique during a closed door meeting on Thursday 25th September gave firm instructions to all the competent security services to immediately attend to the situation in Bum subdivision before it gets out of hand.

Representatives of the warring communities in Bum subdivision revealed at the meeting that there are three Muslim grazier communities, notably, the Mbororos, the Akous and the Haousas. For more than fifty years now, the two grazier communities of Mbororos and Akous have been led by two community leaders, known locally as “Ardos” who are also assisted by other sub leaders known as “wakilis”.

The two Ardos namely Ardo Juli Bobo and Ardo Sali Buba are all of Mbororo extraction.

A protest addressed to the Boyo administration and dated 7th September 2014 by the Fons of Sawi and Saff fondoms as well as the two recognized Ardos noted that “ these buoyant grazier population is being ruled by two ardorates ;namely the Sawi ardorate which has existed for over 60 years with ardo Juli Bobo at the head and the ardorate of Saff that has existed for over 50 years with ardo Sali Buba.”

They continue that the grazier population in these ardorates is made up of red and white cattle rearers cohabiting peacefully with each other and their leaders.

The ardos are assisted in their tasks by wakilis and the natives as they all live in harmony. Recently, some two misguided, uninformed and overzealous individuals have been creating disorder in these two ardorates in a desperate attempt to become ardos. They claim they want an ardorate for the Akous who are different from the Mbororos.

This is not only preaching tribalism but also poses the perennial question of exclusive territory for Akou graziers. The release amongst other things concludes that “we are afraid that if further stringent measures are not undertaken urgently, this situation may degenerate to affect public peace at a time that we need stronger unity and solidarity to face the common enemy of the state; Boko Haram”.

The local leaders regretted that though a prefectoral order of 21 January 2003, reinforced by another of 19 August 2014 banned the creation of new ardorates, the DO of Bum subdivision led a delegation to the Ndawara Tea Estates and held a meeting with El Hadj Baba Danpullo during which a plea was made to Baba Danpullo to help the Akou people get their own ardos Boyo SDO, Joseph Oum II for his part state that protests and petitions have been written to many quarters, pointing out that all ardos are community leaders and do not own land because they are all under Fons who own the land.

Finally, the SDO ordered all concerned to go back to Bum, concert, under the auspices of the DO and the mayor on the issue of the creation of new ardorates and present a comprehensive report to him before 7th October 2014 without which the administration would be pushed to the wall. More than seven Fons from the area also took turns to speak.