Four hurt in fight between farmers and herders in Niger

At least four people got seriously injured after a clash between farmers and herders in Pampo, a village in the Kataeregi District of Katcha Local Government Area of Niger State.

This incident happened after some cattle grazed in a soybean farm owned by one of the victims. The farmer tried to drive the cattle away to protect his crops, but an argument broke out between him and a herder.

Things got worse when the herder attacked the farmer with a dagger, causing serious injuries. Other farmers nearby heard the cries for help and rushed to the scene.

Sources say the attacker then turned on two farmers who tried to help, injuring them badly before running away. The victims were quickly taken to a hospital for treatment.

One of the injured farmers had a deep cut around his ear and neck, which caused severe bleeding and needed urgent medical care.

The Pampo clash adds to a series of farmer-herder conflicts happening in different areas of Niger State. On July 7, a fight in Beji, Bosso Local Government Area, led to one death and another injury.

That dispute started when some cattle entered a farmer’s field and wrecked crops. Police reported that three people attacked a farmer in the Danini area, injuring both the farmer and one of the attackers. The farmer later died in the hospital.

Before the Beji incident, there was a more violent outbreak in communities near Tegina in Rafi Local Government Area. PREMIUM TIMES reported that at least 48 people were killed in attacks and counterattacks between Fulani herders and Kamuku community members.

Residents said the violence included attacks on communities, while retaliatory strikes also led to the deaths of several herders. The clashes in Tegina spread to Kagara, the headquarters of Rafi LGA, prompting authorities to impose a curfew after a mob tried to invade Kagara General Hospital and attack herders receiving treatment.

Security personnel were sent to protect the hospital and stop further violence. Farmer-herder violence has also been seen in other parts of Niger State in past years.

In November 2024, three farmers were hospitalized after getting machete injuries during a clash with suspected herders at Mailema farm area in Wushishi Local Government Area. That fight started when cattle entered rice farms, and police later arrested one of the suspected attackers.

In another incident in Kadna, Shiroro Local Government Area, two people, a farmer and a herder, were killed during a clash triggered by cattle grazing on farmland. Several houses were also burned, forcing some residents to flee.

An earlier clash in Beji, Bosso Local Government Area, reportedly took five lives, including three siblings, after a farmer was found dead on his farm due to complaints about cattle eating his crops. This incident raised fears of more violent reprisals in the area.

These ongoing incidents show the rising tension over farmland access, grazing routes, and crop damage in parts of Niger State, especially during the farming season. Community leaders in Pampo have called for better conflict-resolution methods, improved security presence, and ongoing talks between farmers and herders to stop disputes from turning violent.

They also asked the Niger State Government and security agencies to do more to protect vulnerable farming communities during the peak farming season when tensions often rise over access to farmland and grazing routes. The leaders urged farmers and herders to remain calm and use community and legal ways to settle disagreements instead of violence or revenge.