“…Narratives about their ancestral ties to the land and the attempts by “settlers” to claim it have reinforced their resolve to maintain control over their communal land. The Agatu local government area is infamous for the “Agatu Massacres,” a term that describes a series of deadly attacks by alleged herder militias over multiple days across several communities, resulting in the death of over 500 people (Jimoh, 2016; Mayah, 2016; Nwankwo, 2023; Uwazuruike, 2020). The “Agatu Massacres” exemplify a recent incident similar to what rural communities in the Middle Belt experienced during the colonial period (Nwankwo, 2023; Olumba, 2023, p. 6).…”