Agreement Reached this Day 7th of January, 2017 Between Agatu People of Benue State and Fulani Herdsmen of Nasarawa State of Nigeria

• Country/entity

  Nigeria
  
• Region

  Africa (excl MENA)
  
• Agreement name

  Agreement Reached this Day 7th of January, 2017 Between Agatu People of Benue State and Fulani Herdsmen of Nasarawa State of Nigeria
• Date

  6 Jan 2017
• Agreement status

  Multiparty signed/agreed
• Interim arrangement

  Yes
• Agreement/conflict level

  Intrastate/local conflict ( Nigerian Civil War (1967), Delta Unrest (1990 - ), Communal Conflicts (1978 - ), and Boko Haram Insurgency (2009 - ) )
• Stage

  Framework/substantive - comprehensive
• Conflict nature

  Inter-group
• Peace process

  Nigeria - local agreements
• Parties

  Agatu People of Benue State
  Fulani Herdsmen of Nasartawa State
• Third parties

  -
• Description

  An agreement between two groups dealing with inter-communal conflict and providing for mutual access to Adepati Island, with provisions on access to grazing and fishing, and providing that the agreement may from time to time be monitored by the military.

• Agreement document

  NG_170106_Agreement between Agatu people and Fulani Herdsmen.pdf | Download PDF

Local agreement properties

• Process type

  Informal but persistent process
  
• Rationale

  It appears that the agreement is informal in the way it is made and supported, with vague commitment by the army to monitor sporadically but this only refers to implementation and is not support in terms of mediating or supporting the act of agreement making. There does seem to be a level of persistent practice in the sense that this agreement involves the Fulani who are frequently involved in processes, particularly involving herders and pastoralists in farmer grazer conflict resolution processes around the same time. One of the states, Nasarawa which is implicated in the agreement also appears to border the plateau where many of the inter-communal processes and farmer grazer processes have taken place, which have also involved the Fulani.
• Is there a documented link to a national peace process?

  No
• Link to national process: articulated rationale

  There is no reference in the text to the national process and it could not be said that there is sufficient basis for a link to the national through involvement from state representatives. The head administrator of Agatu appears to be the only official signing, possibly with the involvement of another local level governor and it appears the administrator of Agatu has called for the agreement. It is not necessarily clear however whether this is supported by other local groups concerned and state level authorities from the surrounding states of Benue and Nasarawa.
• Name of Locale

  Adapati Island
• Nature Of Locale

  Smaller
• GPS Lat/Long (DD)

  7.867055, 7.910455
• Participant type

  Local community/civilian group(s)/civil society organisations
  
• Mediator, facilitator or similar

  No mention of mediator or similar

Local issues

Agreement reached this day 6th of January, 2017 between Agatu people of Benue state and Fulani herdsmen of Nasarawa state of Nigeria.

An agreement reached on this day 6th of January 2017, between Agatu people of Benue state and Fulani Herdsmen of Nasartawa State as follows:

-

1. The Adepati Islan is by this agreement opened to Fulani herdsmen for the purpose of grazing only and not for residence.

2. That no permanent structure of building be erected on the Island for the purpose of residence.

3. That the Island is opened to both Agatu and Fulani herdsmen for the purpose of their economic practices.

Hitherto, the Island is also opened to Agatu for fishing without threat.

4. That No herdsman is allowed to grazing beyond the said island.

5. That Fulani herdsmen shall be held accountable for any destruction done to any farm land or produced in any nearby island other than Adapati Island.

6. That no herdsmen should be allowed to cross the Agatu Hinterland until normalcy is restored.

7. That only the indigenous Fulani that their identity are known that should be allowed to graze on Adapati Island.

8. That Neither Agatu nor Fulani herdsmen are allowed to carry about any dangerous Arm such as Gun, Matchet and Explosives.

9. That soldier shall invade the Island on hearing of any gun shot by either Agatu youth or Fulani herdsmen.

10. That both Agatu youth and Fulani herdsmen should not deploy any armed group to any location except directed by the military.

11. That any armed group from either sidet that cross over illegally will be engaged by 72 SFBN and 177 BN.

12. That this agreement shall be monitored by the military from time to time.

13. Any breach of this agreement shall lead to withdrawal of this agreement and the military shall take over occupation of the Island.