GOMBE STATE SUSPENDS TWO TRADITIONAL LEADERS OVER FARMER-HERDER CRISIS
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By Aishat Momoh. O.
The Gombe State Expanded Security Council on Wednesday suspended a village head and a district head over their alleged failure to prevent a recent farmer-herder clash that resulted in fatalities in Funakaye Local Government Area.
Our correspondent reports that farmers across several local government areas in Gombe have suffered significant losses due to herders invading farmlands with unharvested crops.
Addressing journalists at the Gombe Arena after the security meeting held at the Government House, Commissioner for Justice and Attorney-General, Zubair Umar, said the council convened to find a resolution to the crisis.
“The recent resurgence of the farmer-herder crisis in some parts of the state was brought before the Security Council, and after deliberations, it led to the suspension of two traditional rulers. The Council viewed the failure of the traditional rulers as a contributing factor to the incident that occurred in Funakaye LGA. To serve as a deterrent, the Council decided to impose sanctions on the concerned traditional rulers, a Village Head and a District Head, who should have acted proactively to prevent the crisis,” Umar stated.
Investigations into the matter are ongoing, and details will be made public upon conclusion, he added.
Also speaking, Saleh Mohammed, Deputy Chairman of the Council of Emirs and Chiefs from Mai Kaltungo, clarified that the suspension is temporary.
“We hope that by the end of the investigation, if they provide satisfactory explanations as to why they couldn’t prevent the crisis, they will be reinstated to their positions as Village and District Heads. This is not a dismissal; they have not lost their jobs,” he said.
Mohammed called on farmers and herders to live peacefully and exercise tolerance, emphasizing that Gombe remains one of the most peaceful states in Nigeria.
“The traditional rulers live among their people; we understand them and know how best to sensitise them,” he added.
The council’s action aims to deter negligence among traditional authorities and reinforce community harmony amid rising tensions between farmers and herders in the state.
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