A GROSS MISCARRIAGE OF JUSTICE: THE ARREST OF A BENUE FARMER IN AGATU DEFENDING HIS LIVELIHOOD
Today, March 31, 2025, the world woke up to yet another infuriating chapter in the relentless saga of farmer-herder conflicts in Nigeria most especially Benue —a chapter that exposes the deep rot in our justice system and the shameful indifference to the plight of the common man. In Agatu Local Government Area of Benue State, a farmer—whose name has been reported as Bawa Oneh in some accounts—stands accused and arrested for allegedly poisoning his own farm, an act that led to the deaths of over 20 cows belonging to Fulani herders. The audacity of this arrest is not just an affront to reason; it is a slap in the face of every farmer who has toiled under the scorching sun, only to watch their livelihoods trampled by cattle and their voices silenced by an unjust system.
Let’s be clear: this farmer did not set out to poison cows. He poisoned his farm—his land, his sweat, his survival—in a desperate bid to protect it from the relentless invasion of cattle that have turned Benue’s fertile fields into grazing grounds for herders who act with impunity. Reports indicate that the farmer laced rice chaff with poison, and a herder was allegedly “invited” to graze his cattle on it, resulting in the immediate death of 13 cows, with others requiring veterinary care. The Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association and the Benue State Police Command have pounced on this incident, painting the farmer as a villain, a criminal deserving of handcuffs and condemnation. But who is the real criminal here?
The arrest of this farmer is not justice; it is persecution. It sends a chilling message to every farmer in Benue: your land is not yours, your rights are meaningless, and your survival is secondary to the whims of cattle herders. The Police, Benue State have confirmed the arrest and launched an investigation, but where is the investigation into the herders who have turned the whole Benue state into a battleground? Where is the accountability for the peace committee that has failed to stem the tide of violence? Where is the outrage for a man pushed to the brink by a system that has abandoned him?
To condemn this farmer is to ignore the context of his actions. He is not a murderer; he is a victim—a man cornered by desperation, left with no recourse but to protect what is his. The real crime lies with a government that has failed to enforce grazing laws, secure farmlands, or deliver justice to those whose lives have been upended by this unending conflict. The Miyetti Allah chairman, Risku Muhammed, has decried the poisoning as an attack on herders, but what of the attacks on farmers? What of the crops devoured, the families displaced, the blood spilled on Benue soil?
This arrest must be reversed. The farmer must be released, and the focus shifted to the true culprits: a broken system and the unchecked aggression of those who prioritize cattle over human lives. Anything less is a betrayal of justice, a betrayal of Benue’s people, and a betrayal of the very principles Nigeria claims to uphold.
On this day, March 31, 2025, let the nation stand with this farmer—not against him—and demand an end to this travesty.
Enough is enough..