Agreement Reached this Day 7th of January, 2017 Between Agatu People of Benue State and Fulani Herdsmen of Nasarawa State of Nigeria

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Country/entity: Nigeria
Region: Africa (excl MENA)
Agreement name: Agreement Reached this Day 7th of January, 2017 Between Agatu People of Benue State and Fulani Herdsmen of Nasarawa State of Nigeria
Date: 6 Jan 2017
Agreement status: Multiparty signed/agreed
Interim arrangement: Yes
Agreement/conflict level: Intrastate/local conflict
Nigerian Civil War (1967), Delta Unrest (1990 - ), Communal Conflicts (1978 - ), and Boko Haram Insurgency (2009 - )
Since 1960 when Nigeria became independent, it has seen a number of coup d’etats and instability. In 1967, after confederation plans for the Nigerian regions to gain more independence failed, the Eastern region seceded as the Republic of Biafra and this caused the Nigerian Civil War. The conflict resulted from political, economic, ethnic and religious tensions which had existed since before Britain drew new borders when colonising the area. The discovery of oil in the Niger Delta heightened the intensity of the conflict. With the aid of British forces, the Nigerian military managed to take back the territory in 1970. Since then, ethnic violence has persisted.

Nigerian Delta Unrest (1990 - )
Conflict in the Niger Delta arose in the 1990s between foreign oil companies and ethnic groups which felt exploited after being forced to abandon their land. The Nigerian military caused international consternation in 1995 when members of the Ogoni tribe of the Niger Delta were found hanged without due process. The proliferation of arms in the region has encouraged the rise of armed groups which have targeted oil companies and pipelines. This came to a head in 2004 when Shell withdrew personnel from two oil fields in response to attacks on wells and pipelines by rebels. The military have attempted to clamp down on militant groups in the Niger Delta but it was not until the establishment of the Presidential amnesty program in 2009 which required the surrender of weapons by militants in exchange for amnesty. In 2016 a new militant group called the Niger Delta Avengers has announced its existence in the Niger Delta illustrating the continued instability in that region.

Boko Haram Insurgency (2009 - )
Sectarian violence has also been rife in Nigeria and since 2002, the radical Islamist group Boko Haram have been violently seeking to establish sharia law throughout Nigeria and an Islamic caliphate in the Northern part of the country. In 2009 they began an official insurgency which spread to Cameroon, Chad and Niger. In 2014 the group kidnapped 276 girls from a college in Chibok and bombed the town of Jos. The insurgency is the result of Muslim – Christian tensions in the country which is a constant source of instability and violence. In 2015 the military led a regional coalition of forces on a counter-offensive against Boko Haram and they were successful in taking ground. There are also conflicts between Fulani herdsmen and Christian peasants in the Middle belt. Widespread corruption and lack of state authority exacerbate these many complex tensions.

Central Nigerian communal conflicts (1978 - )
Unrest in Nigeria is a product of socio-economic pressures between migrating herdsmen and settled agriculturists, exacerbated by firearms proliferation, ethnic conflict, sectarianism and banditry. Since 2001, attacks have adopted a more sectarian character involving suicide bombings and shooting at churches by the jihadist group, Boko Haram. Peaks of violence occurred in 2004 and 2011, patoral/farmer conflict has resulted in the deaths of thousands since the Fourth Nigerian Republic was founded in 1999. The Land Use Act of 1978, exacerbated conflict by allowing longtime occupants 'indigeneship' and the ability to apply for a certificate of occupancy, putting migrating communities at a disadvantage.
Stage: Framework/substantive - comprehensive
Conflict nature: Inter-group
Peace process: Nigeria - local agreements
Parties: Agatu People of Benue State
Fulani Herdsmen of Nasartawa State
Third parties: -
Description: An agreement between two groups dealing with inter-communal conflict and providing for mutual access to Adepati Island, with provisions on access to grazing and fishing, and providing that the agreement may from time to time be monitored by the military.

Agreement document: NG_170106_Agreement between Agatu people and Fulani Herdsmen.pdf (opens in new tab) | Download PDF

Local agreement properties

Process type: Informal but persistent process
Rationale: It appears that the agreement is informal in the way it is made and supported, with vague commitment by the army to monitor sporadically but this only refers to implementation and is not support in terms of mediating or supporting the act of agreement making. There does seem to be a level of persistent practice in the sense that this agreement involves the Fulani who are frequently involved in processes, particularly involving herders and pastoralists in farmer grazer conflict resolution processes around the same time. One of the states, Nasarawa which is implicated in the agreement also appears to border the plateau where many of the inter-communal processes and farmer grazer processes have taken place, which have also involved the Fulani.
Is there a documented link to a national peace process?: No
Link to national process: articulated rationale: There is no reference in the text to the national process and it could not be said that there is sufficient basis for a link to the national through involvement from state representatives. The head administrator of Agatu appears to be the only official signing, possibly with the involvement of another local level governor and it appears the administrator of Agatu has called for the agreement. It is not necessarily clear however whether this is supported by other local groups concerned and state level authorities from the surrounding states of Benue and Nasarawa.
Name of Locale: Adapati Island
Nature of Locale: Smaller
GPS Lat/Long (DD): 7.867055, 7.910455
Participant type: Local community/civilian group(s)/civil society organisations
Mediator, facilitator or similar: No mention of mediator or similar

Local issues

Ritual/prayer and process (including use of scripture): No specific mention.
Grievance List: Page 1, 5. That Fulani herdsmen shall be held accountable for any destruction done to any farm land or produced in any nearby island other than Adapati Island.
Cattle rustling/banditry: No specific mention.
Social cover: No specific mention.

Agreement reached this day 6th of January, 2017 between Agatu people of Benue state and Fulani herdsmen of Nasarawa state of Nigeria.

An agreement reached on this day 6th of January 2017, between Agatu people of Benue state and Fulani Herdsmen of Nasartawa State as follows:

1. The Adepati Islan is by this agreement opened to Fulani herdsmen for the purpose of grazing only and not for residence.

2. That no permanent structure of building be erected on the Island for the purpose of residence.

3. That the Island is opened to both Agatu and Fulani herdsmen for the purpose of their economic practices.

Hitherto, the Island is also opened to Agatu for fishing without threat.

4. That No herdsman is allowed to grazing beyond the said island.

5. That Fulani herdsmen shall be held accountable for any destruction done to any farm land or produced in any nearby island other than Adapati Island.

6. That no herdsmen should be allowed to cross the Agatu Hinterland until normalcy is restored.

7. That only the indigenous Fulani that their identity are known that should be allowed to graze on Adapati Island.

8. That Neither Agatu nor Fulani herdsmen are allowed to carry about any dangerous Arm such as Gun, Matchet and Explosives.

9. That soldier shall invade the Island on hearing of any gun shot by either Agatu youth or Fulani herdsmen.

10. That both Agatu youth and Fulani herdsmen should not deploy any armed group to any location except directed by the military.

11. That any armed group from either sidet that cross over illegally will be engaged by 72 SFBN and 177 BN.

12. That this agreement shall be monitored by the military from time to time.

13. Any breach of this agreement shall lead to withdrawal of this agreement and the military shall take over occupation of the Island.