General Christopher Musa, Nigeria’s Chief of Defence Staff, has highlighted three primary factors fueling the persistent violence in Benue State, emphasizing that political solutions are critical to resolving the crisis.
Speaking in a recent interview with Channels TV, General Musa outlined land disputes, unregulated animal movement, and cattle rustling as the core issues driving the conflict.
The first issue, according to Musa, is the tension between indigenes and non-indigenes over land ownership, a deeply political matter requiring dialogue and policy intervention.
“This is supposed to be sorted out politically,” he stated, noting that the military’s role is limited to preventing attacks rather than addressing root causes.
The second factor is the movement of animals, which Musa argued is mischaracterized as “farmer-herder clashes.”
He clarified, “If a farmer is standing and an animal comes in, it’s not a clash, it’s somebody entering somebody’s property.”
He suggested that restricting unregulated animal movement could significantly reduce conflicts.
Lastly, Musa pointed to cattle rustling as a major contributor, explaining that theft of animals exacerbates tensions and fuels retaliatory violence.
“If we don’t rustle animals that are moving, there won’t be most of this problem,” he said.
General Musa stressed that while the military can intervene to stop direct attacks, the underlying issues demand political will and collaborative governance.
“Most of it is a political solution that needs to come into it because it’s not what the military can solve,” he reiterated.
