There are four grazing reserves set up across four strategic axes of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) to stop herders from roaming the streets of the country’s capital city. They are the Paikon-Kore grazing reserve located at Gwagwalada Area Council and three others at Rubochi, Shere and Karshi in Kuje, Bwari and Abuja Municipal area councils respectively.
In all the four facilities, the Paikon-Kore grazing reserve remains the most populous and has witnessed conflicts between herders and communities in the area, leading to loss of lives and destruction of both farm produce and animals.
The grazing reserve was originally sitting over 8,500 hectares of land that share boundaries with about four villages comprising Paikon-Bassa, Paikon-Kore, Dobi and Kace communities all within Gwagwalada council. “That was before it lost some of its territorial to the land grabbers, an official who is familiar with the terrain, has revealed. The number of nomadic primary school there are 2, one established by the Federal government known as model, and another been subsequently provided by the Gwagwalada area council, as been further learnt.
Dr Zayyanu Garba, a former director in the Department of Animal Services in the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA), told Daily Trust Saturday that the Paikon-Kore grazing reserve was created in 1991 by the administration of a former military president, General Ibrahim Babangida (retd). He directed the then FCT minister, Muhammad Gado Nasko, to set allocate some lands and even forests for the project.
