JORAS - Nigerian Journal of Religion and Society

Communities across the world have faced a growing number of challenging events in the recent time, such as violent attacks, terrorism, oil spillage, riots, and water crisis that have brought untold hardship to the people, especially the poor masses. Recently, there have been escalations of reported attacks by herdsmen who brutally killed natives of farming communities, including women and children in various states across the country. Nonetheless, a lot of factors can be attributed as causes of the crises. Some of these factors include religious differences, breakdown in farmers and herdsmen relationship, intolerance, self-interest, unemployment and poverty. Hence, the present article aims to examine the potentials of group communication in bringing the farmers and herdsmen in Southern Kaduna together as a group in view of managing the lingering crisis between them. Through conceptual analysis of relevant literature, the paper argues that, despite all the causes of the crisis, there are various ways of tackling them, including proper communication strategy. Thus, it concludes that, when parties in crisis are educated and equipped with group communication skills, a peace-building process would achieve its desired goal. Therefore, among others, the paper recommends that, the State Government should strive to initiate a Truth and Reconciliation Commission to heal the already existing open wound between the Farmers and Herdsmen. Also, the leaders of Farmers, as well as the Herdsmen in Southern Kaduna need to accept and embrace the challenge to dialogue as a group for ?nding lasting solutions to the lingering crisis in the region.

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