Empirical Analysis of the Nexus Between Cattle Rustling and Rural Violence in Taraba State

Abstract

Even when there have been isolated cases of cattle rustling and armed banditry in
Taraba state in the Fourth Republic; it did not constitute a serious security threat to the
state. Despite this, it remained a source of public safety concern and an additional threat
to the security of Taraba state. Apart from the loss of herds of cattle and other animals
like sheep, goats and donkeys, it has also led to loss of lives, destruction of houses and
property, and in some cases displacement of the affected victims. The implication of this
is that it serves as a threat to the state of security in the state; as well as the overall
national security architecture. It also deprives the affected herders of means of economic
subsistence since that is the only source of their livelihood. It is based on this that the
study is embarked upon to examine the nexus between cattle rustling and rural violence
in Taraba state. The study revealed that criminal gang activities have been responsible
for this since most of the cattle rustlers are Fulani herders that steal cattle from among
themselves and even from non-Fulani herders to increase their flock; or to sell and
increase their prosperity. The study is a mixed method where both secondary and
primary sources are used for generating data. The secondary data was sourced and
analyzed through content analysis and discourse method and the result was presented in
explanatory form. Primary data was presented in tabular and graphical form using
sequential systematic analysis, where the result was analyzed in descriptive and
explanatory form. The study recommends that appropriate law should be enacted for the
effective registering, marking and tracking of cattle in any given area (colony). All these
will make it easy to track, trace and recover stolen cows and the subsequent arrest of the
rustlers