Nigeria’s former foreign affairs minister Yusuf Tuggar has blamed the surge in banditry and rural violence in Bauchi State and beyond on deepening tensions over land use between farmers and herders, urging a “balanced and modern” approach to agriculture and pastoralism.
Speaking during a media briefing on Sunday as he set out priorities ahead of a planned run for governor in Bauchi State, Tuggar argued that pastoralism should not be dismissed as outdated, describing it as a legitimate and enduring way of life.
“Transhumance is not incompatible with modern societies,” he said. “Pastoralists exist in advanced countries, so it is not a sign of backwardness.”
Instead, he called for reforms to modernise both livestock and farming systems, including better management of grazing routes and reserves. According to him, rapid population growth and encroachment on designated grazing areas have intensified clashes between herders and farmers across parts of northern Nigeria.
Tuggar also criticised what he described as the indiscriminate allocation of farmland to individuals who fail to use it productively, warning that such practices displace subsistence farmers and erode livelihoods.
“When people are disenfranchised and can no longer sustain themselves, they may resort to banditry or other criminal activities,” he said.
He urged closer collaboration between state authorities, local governments and traditional institutions to manage land more equitably, stressing that both farming and herding communities must be protected to reduce conflict.
Beyond land use, the former minister pointed to economic hardship as a driver of insecurity, singling out the failure to pay pensions as a neglected source of social instability. When retirees are unable to support their families, he argued, dependants can be pushed towards crime.
“It is critical for the survival of individuals and for maintaining social stability,” he said. “When families are neglected, insecurity can grow.”
Tuggar pledged that prompt payment of pensions and gratuities would be a priority if elected, alongside efforts to stimulate job creation through agriculture, mining and business process outsourcing.
His remarks reflect a broader debate over the roots of insecurity in Nigeria’s north, where policymakers increasingly face the challenge of addressing economic dislocation and land pressures alongside persistent violence.
