CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1. BAACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

Internal conflict has been a recurrent narrative in Nigeria since her independence in 1960. The conflict between nomadic herders and sedentary farmers is a foremost conflict in contemporary Nigeria. The fundamental cause of the conflict lies in the competition for natural resources. Herders and farmers compete to have access to land and freshwater (Audu, 2013), with the former seeking these resources for the grazing benefit of their cattle and the latter interested in using them for the cultivation of crops. This competition has turned aggressive in recent decades due to increasing scarcity of these resources, a phenomenon which has been alluded to as a direct effect of climate change (Abugu & Onuba, 2015; Odoh & Chigozie, 2012; Shettima & Tar, 2008).

Feuds between the two groups are often predicated on accusations of acts of intentional deprivation or criminality against each other. Herders accuse farmers or members of the host community of having stolen or poisoned their cattle. Farming communities, on the other hand, accuse herders of allowing herded cattle stray into their farmlands to feed on and destroy growing crops. These accusations or the actual deeds tend to stir violent attacks and reprisals. Situating the role of the news media in the context of this conflict is critical. The news media are a major player during periods of conflict. Through their surveillance function, the media are responsible for surveying the society, gathering and disseminating information that are of significance to the public. For its news value, conflict is of particular consideration in the media. Tumbler (2009) argues that journalists place emphasis on violence and conflict in order to produce and increase the value of “a commodity that is supposed to generate profit” (p. 396). Nevertheless, it is expected that the media’s social responsibility to the public should compel a commitment to minimise confusion and contribute to social order during conflict situations (Daramola, 2005).

Although not new, the conflict between herdsmen and farming communities in Africa has evolved into a deadly dimension with many lives lost and property destroyed across many countries (Moritz, 2006a; Institute for Economics and Peace IEP, 2016). Following the drought of 1970-80 in Africa, the farmers-herders conflict increased, and this has influenced development programmes and policies (Hussein, Sumberg & Seddon, 1999). Since the year 2000, the crisis has become widespread in many West Africa countries such as Ghana and Nigeria (Moritz, 2006a).

The crisis has developed into a fatal dimension claiming many lives and property, especially in central Nigeria in parts of Benue, Plateau, Adamawa, Nasarawa States. A report shows that from 2001 to 2016, about 60,000 deaths resulted from Fulani militant attacks in Nigeria (IEP, 2016). Of these deaths, 2827 occurred from 2010 to 2015 and 2500 from 2012 to 2016 (IEP, 2016). In 2014, the Fulani herdsmen militants were ranked the 4 th deadliest terrorist group in the globe for killing 1,229 people in 2014, up from 63 in 2013 (IEP, 2015). In 2016, the Fulani herdsmen militants murdered more people than Boko Haram in Nigeria (IEP, 2016). Amnesty International claimed that in January 2018 alone the Fulani extremists claimed the lives of 168 people (Ameh, 2018), in April, 19 people including two Catholic priests were killed in Benue and in June more than 86 people in Jos, Plateau State (Busari, 2018).

Despite the many studies on the conflict, there are significant research gaps regarding the role of the media discourse of the conflict. Some conference papers have explored geopolitics of media representation of the battle (Nwankwo, 2018b; 2019a) and recent advancement of a critical geopolitical treatment of the conflict in West Africa considering discourse of the conflict as language and social practice (Nwankwo, 2019b). However, compared with research on media perspectives on associated disputes in Nigeria, e.g. ethnoreligious conflict (e.g., Salawu, 2009; Hackett, 2003) and other conflicts (e.g., Akpan, Ering & Olofu-Adeoye, 2013), research on the farmers-herders strife has not given adequate focus to the media discourse of the conflict in a poststructuralist sense. A study by Gever and Essien (2019) focused on three critical issues, namely the newspapers’ level of attention, the language of reporting and readers’ evaluation of the reportage. Odunlami (2017) has analysed the main themes and essential speakers in newspapers’ narratives of the conflict. Shehu (2017) investigated how newspapers’ reportage of the conflict depict Fulani people as obstinate and ‘conflict mongers’. However, the research by Shehu (2017) should have used a theory of how meaning –‘Fulani tribe as conflict mongers’ is discursively articulated in the media, e.g., the dominant-ideology model or the cultivation theory. Odunlami (2017) contends that newspapers reportage of the conflict gets more strong opinions of politicians which portend the propensity for propaganda and politicisation of the disputes. Shehu (2017) argues that newspapers’ articulation of Fulani people, including the Fulani herdsmen as conflict mongers increases the sensitivity of Fulani-phobia which hinders the resolution of the conflict.

1. STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

The media’s selection of what becomes reported as news and framing of issues related to a conflict tend to shape public perception and opinion about the issues. Agenda set through media reporting can directly or indirectly determine the course a conflict situation would follow. According to Gilboa (2009), investigating the functions and dysfunctions of the local media within the context of a conflict should be a research priority because the local media’s coverage directly affects people engaged in conflict and conflict resolution. In view of this, it is important to examine the herders-farmers conflict in Nigeria through the coverage of the issue by newspapers in the country.

Situating the role of the news media in the context of this conflict is critical. The news media are a major player during periods of conflict. Through their surveillance function, the media are responsible for surveying the society, gathering and disseminating information that are of significance to the public. For its news value, conflict is of particular consideration in the media. Tumbler (2009) argues that journalists place emphasis on violence and conflict in order to produce and increase the value of “a commodity that is supposed to generate profit” (p. 396). Nevertheless, it is expected that the media’s social responsibility to the public should compel a commitment to minimise confusion and contribute to social order during conflict situations (Daramola, 2005).

Scholars have studied and analysed the herders-farmers conflict mostly from agrarian, environmental, socio-economic and ethnoreligious perspectives to identify the causes, complexities and effects of the conflict (See Adisa & Adekunle, 2010; Abugu & Onuba, 2015; Adelakun, Adurogbangba & Akinbile, 2015; Blench, 2003, 2010; Genyi, 2014). There is, however, a dearth of empirical literature on the role of the mass media in this conflict. Non-reportage or under-reportage of certain conflicts by the media could be inimical to the mitigation and resolution of such conflicts. The significance the public attach to conflict situations and their processing of cognate issues are greatly hinged on the extent and patterns of media coverage. Based on the foregoing, examining Nigerian media’s coverage of the herders-farmers conflict, thus, becomes imperative.

1. AIMS AND OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY

The general objective of this study is to examine selected Nigerian national newspapers’ coverage of the herders-farmers conflict in Nigeria.

The specific objectives are to:

1. Find out the major sources of reports on the herders-farmers conflict in selected national newspapers.
2. Identify the principal perpetrators of violence in the herders-farmers conflict as indicated in reports published in selected national newspapers.
3. To determine the number times herder-farmer conflict was captured in vangaurd and sun newspaper.
4. Assess the causal factors of herder-farmer conflict in selected national newspaper.
   1. RESEARCH QUESTIONS

Arising from the research objectives, the following research questions will be address in the study:

1. What are the major sources of reports on the herders-farmers conflict in selected national newspapers?
2. Who are the principal perpetrators of violence in the herders-farmers conflict as indicated in reports published in selected national newspapers?
3. How many times was herder-farmer conflict was captured in vangaurd and sun newspaper?
4. What are the causal factors of herder-farmer conflict in selected national newspaper?
   1. STATEMENT OF HYPOTHEIS

The following hypothesis will be presented as follows:

H0 there is no significant relationship of herder-farmer conflict in selected national newspaper.

H1 there is significant relationship of herder-farmer conflict in selected national newspaper.

1.6 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

The study is very important as it will try to reveal the all the needed information as regards to herder-farmer conflict in the selected national newspaper for the curious readers to know the position of herder-farmers conflict in Nigeria.

This study also comes at a time when Nigeria needs peaceful co-existence in the nation. It will serve as an eye opener to the policy makers (government) to draw and map up policies and measures that will geared towards peaceful resolution between herders and farmers in Nigeria.

1. SCOPE OF THE STUDY

This study is limited to only herders and farmers conflict in Nigeria, with a selected national newspaper representation. It focuses on the causes, effects and major perpetrator of the conflict.

1. LIMITATION OF THE STUDY

TIME CONSTRAINTS: One the challenges experienced by the researcher is the issue of time; the research will simultaneously engage in departmental activities like seminars and attendance to lectures. But the researcher was able to meet up with the deadline for the submission of the project.

FINANCIAL CONSTRAINTS: Every research work needs funding; however lack of adequate funds might affect the speed of the researcher in getting materials for completion of the project.

1. DEFINITION OF TERMS

Herder

The word herder as applied to the context in Nigeria is someone who is in possession of livestock most especially cows. They are mostly referenced as persons who domesticate animals such as cattle, sheep, goats, donkeys, Carmel and a lot of others.

Farmer

Farmers (also called agricultures) are persons who engage in agriculture, raising living organisms for food or raw materials. The term therefore applies to people who do some combination of raising field crops, orchards, vineyards, poultry, or other livestock. Based on this broad definition, farmers are both the herdsmen who herd or keep livestock like cattle, goats and sheep, and crop farmers.

Herdsmen-Farmers Conflict

Herdsmen-Farmers conflict is as old as the existence of man. It started from the children (Cain and Abel) of the first man (Adam). Abel was a shepherd and Cain was a farmer according to Bible’s account, however, Cain killed Abel in the field out of jealousy. Okoro (2018) averred that herdsmen-farmer or harder-farmer conflicts are conflicts occurring between peasant farmers or subsistence cultivators and nomadic or transhumant livestock keepers.

Socio-Economic Development

Socio-economic development is the relationship between economic activity and social life. It is the continuous improvement in the well-being and in the standard of living of the people. It therefore, centers on poverty reduction or reduction of suffering of the poor and increase their access to social services.

CONFLICT

A conflict is a struggle between people which may be physical, or between conflicting ideas. ... Conflicts can either be within one person, or they can involve several people or groups. Conflicts arise because there are needs, values or ideas that are seen to be different, and there is no means to reconcile the dispute.