Fresh evidence has emerged shedding light on the prolonged conflict between Fulani herdsmen and communities in Agatu Local Government Area of Benue State, with documents indicating that portions of Agatu land were secretly ceded to herders in 2017. The documents, obtained by DAILY POST, suggest that the arrangement may have contributed to years of tension and violence between farmers and herders in the area, where disputes over grazing on farmlands have repeatedly turned deadly, leaving dozens killed, hundreds displaced and farms destroyed.
The documents reveal that an agreement dated January 6, 2017, allegedly approved under the supervision of then Sole Administrator of Agatu LGA, Capt. I.A. Yusuf, designated Adapati Island exclusively for grazing purposes. The terms reportedly restricted the land to grazing activities only, prohibited permanent settlement, and limited access to “indigenous Fulani” herders with verified identities. Communities such as Aila, Okokolo, Obagaji, Adagbo, Akwu, Odugbehon and Odejo have been among the worst affected by the conflict, with residents saying the arrangement has remained a major source of contention and has intensified resistance to herder activities in the area.