Collective Policing of Post-Intractable Conflict Societies: Issues and Prospects

Post-intractable conflict societies are delicate in nature, with the contending parties device means of safe-guarding their respective groups, usually through self-defence and self-help strategies. These approaches, usually are accompanied with contestations, and counter-reactions, which are capable drifting the societies to a conflict situation. Policing these societies require special approach to improve and sustain the relative peace achieved. This paper investigated the prospects of inclusive participatory policing in communities affected by farmers-herders’ conflict in northcentral and northeast, Nigeria. The research design was exploratory qualitative research. Key Informant Interviews were conducted to elicit primary data from a total sample of 8 participants; 2 community leaders of conflict affected communities in Benue State; Agatu-Obagaji, and Egba-Agatu. In Adamawa State, 3 community leaders of the affected communities were interviewed; Bolki, Dong, Malkohi. 2 officials of the herders’ association, and 2 Police Public Relation Officers, 1 each from Adamawa and Benue States were interviewed respectively. Also, the chairman of the Adamawa State farmers’ association, and the official of Benue livestock guards were equally interviewed. Thematic content analysis was used to analyse the data, with the aid of Atlas.ti 24 software. The paper found that majority of the conflict affected communities adopted vigilante services self-help, self-defence approaches to police their communities, which further deepens the rivalry. However, in some cases, some members of the contending groups collaborate for policing their communities which yields positive outcome. It further found that there was limited collaboration between the Police and community members except on incidence reporting. The paper recommends a triangulation policing approach, involving organised team of the police, and selected members of the farmers and herders’ groups.

Keywords: Collective, Conflict, Post-Intractable, Policing.