By Stephen Simon
Troops of Operation Enduring Peace (OPEP) have helped resolve a dispute between farmers and cattle owners in Gero Gyel District, Jos South Local Government Area of Plateau State, following allegations of farmland destruction by grazing cattle.
The incident was reported on September 28 after six cattle were found grazing on the affected farmland, according to security analyst Zagazola Makama in a post on X on Tuesday.
Makama said troops from Sector 6 of OPEP brought the affected parties together for a dialogue at about 3:30 p.m. on September 29 as part of efforts to settle the matter peacefully.
Following the engagement, the cattle were released to their owner, Yusuf Abubakar, through the Wakilin Ardo, Abdullahi Shuaibu.
The parties also reached an agreement on compensation for the damage allegedly caused to the farmland. The loss was assessed at N1 million.
According to Makama, N750,000 was immediately paid to the farmers’ representative, Ilya Solomon, while the remaining N250,000 is to be paid on or before October 12, 2026.
The intervention is part of efforts by security agencies and community leaders in Plateau State to address farmer-herder disputes through dialogue and prevent local disagreements from escalating into broader communal conflicts.
Makama noted that such interventions are important for fostering peaceful coexistence between farming and herding communities while improving public confidence in security operations within the OPEP area of responsibility.
