Cattle Rustling and Communal Violence in Zamfara State: Conflict Analysis and Resolution Strategies

This study analyses cattle rustling as a driver of communal violence in Zamfara State, North West Nigeria, and examines existing and potential conflict resolution strategies. Zamfara State has experienced extreme levels of armed banditry and communal violence over the past five years, with cattle rustling serving as both an economic motivation and a catalyst for retaliatory community attacks. The study employs a qualitative design, using in-depth interviews with cattle farmers, local hunters, traditional rulers, community leaders, and security personnel across Anka, Maru, and Gusau local government areas. Secondary data were drawn from government security reports and NGO field assessments published between 2020 and 2024. The theoretical framework is grounded in the greed and grievance theory of conflict and resource conflict theory. Findings reveal that the intersection of climate-induced livestock scarcity, porous borders, weak state capacity, and political protection of bandit networks has entrenched cattle rustling as a systemic conflict driver. Indigenous conflict resolution mechanisms involving district heads and community dialogue processes have had limited success due to the organised criminal dimensions of current banditry networks. Recommendations include deploying community-based early warning systems, establishing a state cattle identification and registration scheme to reduce rustling incentives, and strengthening cross-border security cooperation in the North West region. Keywords: cattle rustling, communal violence, Zamfara State, banditry, conflict resolution.