Plateau LG Chief Bans Unauthorized Herder Settlements and Farm Grazing to Block Infiltration of Criminal Elements

In a decisive move to protect food security and maintain peace across agrarian communities, the leadership of Qua’an-Pan Local Government Area in Plateau State has outlawed the unsanctioned migration and settlement of herders entering the territory without prior approval from host authorities.

The high-stakes security order was handed down by the Executive Chairman of the council, Dr. Christopher Audu Manship, during an emergency joint stakeholders’ meeting held at the Felix Dakyap Guest House in Doemak. The security briefing brought together top traditional rulers, community leaders, security representatives, and the executive leadership of Miyetti Allah to address rising worries over rural infiltration.

Addressing the assembly, Chairman Manship explained that the proactive ban is designed to prevent criminal networks from exploiting pastoral migration channels to launch attacks or establish hidden operational bases inside the local government. He warned that any herder caught allowing cattle to trample or feed on cultivated crops will be arrested and prosecuted under strict agricultural preservation laws.

“We are taking this proactive step to safeguard peace, security, and community cohesion across Qua’an-Pan,” declared Dr. Christopher Audu Manship. “The council will no longer tolerate the influx and settlement of individuals or groups migrating into our communities without the knowledge and explicit consent of host authorities. Furthermore, no community or leader should harbor individuals fleeing from other areas after engaging in criminal activities. Grazing must remain strictly confined to designated fallow lands and recognized reserves.”

The security policy received swift, total endorsement from the traditional institution. The Chairman of the Qua’an-Pan Local Government Traditional Council of Chiefs, His Royal Highness Nda Miskagam Leklat, praised the local government administration for moving before a crisis could erupt. He urged village heads and youth networks to strengthen vigilante watch points and immediately report any illegal settlements or unfamiliar groups camping in nearby forests.

Pledging total compliance, the local leadership of Miyetti Allah assured the government that it will enhance internal monitoring to ensure all residing pastoralists obey the grazing guidelines. The association committed to flagging unidentified migrants or individuals with questionable backgrounds, ensuring that trouble-makers find no refuge anywhere within the local council.