Beyond Retribution: Community Restorative Justice and Post-Conflict Resolution of Farmer–Herder Conflict in Karim Lamido, Taraba State, Nigeria

The herders-farmers conflict in Karim Lamido Local Government Area of Taraba State has become one of the most protracted and devastating crises in Nigeria's Middle Belt, leaving behind a trail of human suffering, social disintegration, and eroding the foundations of rural livelihoods. Despite repeated interventions by government agencies, security operatives, and community leaders, the cycle of conflict has remained largely unbroken. Conventional approaches rooted in retributive justice arrests, military deployment, and punitive sanctions have tended to focus on immediate containment rather than reconciliation, leaving the root causes of hostility unaddressed. This study examined how community restorative justice mechanisms can facilitate post-conflict resolution and foster sustainable peaceful coexistence in Karim Lamido LGA. Drawing on qualitative data from Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) and Key Informant Interviews (KIIs) with 40 respondents, complemented by field observations in Gwomu, Bandawa, Munga Lalu/Doso, Bambur, and other conflict-affected communities, the study interrogates the potential of restorative justice as an alternative framework for addressing the herders-farmers conflict. Anchored on Restorative Justice Theory and Conflict Transformation Theory, the study explains how community-led mechanisms such as communal dialogue, mediation, compensation, reconciliation rituals, and collective storytelling can rebuild social trust, restore relationships, and foster mutual understanding. The findings reveal that restorative justice mechanisms, when adapted to local socio-cultural realities, offer a culturally grounded and inclusive pathway to post-conflict resolution. However, implementation faces significant challenges including the erosion of traditional authority structures, mistrust among stakeholders, politicisation of conflicts, socioeconomic constraints, and weak integration with formal institutions. The study recommends institutional recognition and support for community-led restorative justice practices, integration of restorative mechanisms into formal peacebuilding frameworks, and addressing structural drivers of conflict including land tenure, insecurity, resource competition, and governance failures.