Plateau crisis: Why I forgave herder who destroyed my crops – Farmer

Sunday Joseph, a farmer in Bisichi community of Barkin Ladi Local Government Area of Plateau State has explained why he forgave a Fulani herder, Malam Ibrahim, who destroyed his farm while rearing his cattle in the area. Both the herder and farmer are residents of Bisichi which was engulfed by ethno-religious crisis some years ago. […]

Sunday Joseph, a farmer in Bisichi community of Barkin Ladi Local Government Area of Plateau State has explained why he forgave a Fulani herder, Malam Ibrahim, who destroyed his farm while rearing his cattle in the area.

Both the herder and farmer are residents of Bisichi which was engulfed by ethno-religious crisis some years ago.

Joseph said at a peace meeting at his farm led by the community leader and monitored by OPSH, a multi-security task force in the state, that he forgave Ibrahim because the herder admitted to committing the offence.

He said: “When Ibrahim’s cattle destroyed the farm, he admitted that his cattle were responsible for the destruction. After the destruction, he came to our community asking for the owner of the farm to pay  compensation, and that action alone softened my heart, and I decided to forgive him.

“I believe whoever pleaded guilty of an offence, should be forgiven. I then concluded that I will not report the matter to security agencies for compensation. If I should take him to them while we are already at loggerheads it wouldn’t be good for both of us. I believe that forgiveness often brings peace,” Joseph added.

Ibrahim said he looked for the owner of the farm to compensate him because he didn’t want trouble, coupled with the fact that they had been together for a long time in the area.

He said: “If I leave it like that, it would not be good for both of us. It would end the relationship that has been built over a long time in the area. I don’t like any trouble that is why I looked for the owner of the farm.”