Bayelsa Gov Warns Traditional Rulers To Stop Protecting Herders In Forests,
..Orders Agric Commissioner To Increase Rice Production
Governor of Bayelsa State, Senator Douye Diri, has issued a stern warning to traditional rulers against shielding herdsmen by allocating forest land to them, vowing sanctions for any caught violating the state’s anti-grazing law.
Speaking at the flag-off of the 2025/2026 dry farming season at the state-owned rice farm in Otuasega community, Ogbia Local Government Area, Diri linked the herder-farmer conflicts—where grazing destroys crops—to threats against food security.
He directed farmers and communities to report herdsmen incursions to security agencies rather than social media, stressing that “Bayelsa must be safe and we must all contribute.”
This crackdown comes amid his push for self-sufficiency in rice production, ordering the Commissioner for Agriculture and Natural Resources to deliver 300,000 kilogrammes of made-in-Bayelsa rice by the end of 2026.
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Diri expressed frustration over last season’s poor harvest, despite government support, and announced a monthly N200 million grant for genuine farmers, plus farming inputs like seedlings, herbicides, and pesticides.
He highlighted agriculture as key to economic diversification, urged civil servants to farm, and tied rural road and bridge projects to easier produce transport.
“Let me warn our traditional rulers who give herdsmen land in our forests that anyone caught will be sanctioned,” Diri stated.
The Commissioner, Prof. Beke Sese, and farmer groups praised the governor’s investments, reaffirming the state’s commitment to food security.