Role of Mass Media towards Ending Fulani Herdsmen and Farmers Conflicts in Benue State

Abstract

Fulani herdsmen and farmers in Benue State have recently been at each other’s neck. This ugly situation has led to the destruction of many lives and property worth millions of naira. Consequently, the nomadic Fulanis who mainly rear cattle and Benue indigenes living in rural areas with farming as their main preoccupation now live in suspicion for the fear of the unknown. Though several efforts have been made to curb the menace but less success has been recorded. The mass media have through their information, education, surveillance, agenda setting and other functions proved to be powerful means of entrenching peace and mitigating conflicts. It is against this backdrop that this paper x-rays how the mass media could be utilized to salvage this ugly situation.   Agenda setting Theory is used as theoretical slant for this study. The study concludes that, mass media have a significant role on preventing and resolving conflict effectively by assuming conflict preventing functions

Keywords: Fulani Herdsmen, Farmers, Conflict, Mass Media, Benue