MIGRATION AND RURAL CONFLICTS IN NIGERIA: EXAMINING THE INFLUX OF HERDSMEN INTO SANKARA, BENUE NORTH-EAST GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRICT AND ITS IMPLICATIONS FOR SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC SECURITY

Abstract

The paper examines farmer-herdsmen conflict in Katsina-Ala, Logo, and Ukum LGAs of Benue State, focusing on the social security threats posed by the influx of herdsmen from 2014 to 2024. The paper employs a mixed-method approach, utilizing field surveys, oral interviews. 300 structured questionnaires were used to gather primary data from farmers and herdsmen. Secondary data is sourced from academic journals and textbooks. The Pearson correlation tests hypotheses was used to establish a significant relationship between migration and escalating rural conflicts. Findings reveal that the increased migration of herdsmen has severely disrupted economic development, with host farmers suffering livelihood losses due to land displacement, resource competition, and security breakdowns. The study advocates for the swift ejection of herdsmen from occupied territories, the resettlement of displaced farmers, and adequate compensation; reinforcement of the Anti-Open Grazing Law (2017), and provision of educational and social infrastructure destroyed in the ongoing conflict.