From Paul Osuyi, Asaba
Residents of Obetim-Uno, Afor in Ndokwa East Local Government Area of Delta State, have raised the alarm over the resurgence of unwholesome activities of herdsmen in the locality.
They accused the herders of using their cows to destroy crops and farmlands worth over N100 million in recently time.
The residents said they are now living in perpetual fear of being physically attacked by the herders one of whom was arrested and released by security agents.
They are appealing for urgent intervention from the relevant bodies in order to avoid hunger, starvation and loss of lives.
President of Obetim National Council (ONC), in a statement Sony Neme, decried that over 300 farms and crops worth over N100 million have been destroyed by the marauding herdsmen.
Neme who led some members of his executive including the community secretary, Hope Osanebi and woman leader, Mrs. Blessing Odili to a meeting with the state command of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defense Corps (NDDC) in Asaba, said the issue of herdsmen invading farmlands with their cows has been on for over a year.
He said his people have become helpless, alleging the unrelenting herders seemed emboldened as those arrested were often released without prosecution despite the existence of the anti-open grazing law in Delta State.
“The invaders are ready to kill anyone who dares to question them. As a result, most of the farmers mainly women, have abandoned their hard earned investments in farms and farmlands, just to remain alive, while hunger and starvation stare them in the face, as they have no other means of livelihood.
“Our fear is that these herders are not interested in any form of dialogue. As a result, the community has decided to engage relevant government authorities, which culminated in Abdul Mohammed and Ali Abdul.
“All efforts to engage them on peaceful resolution to enable them leave our community in peace have failed. Obetim is a peaceful community and we need a peaceful resolution,” Neme said.
He demanded that the herdsmen should leave “our community and pay compensation to those whose farms have been destroyed by their cows. We also demand the immediate removal of their cows from our land as the community did not give them any part of our land for grazing.”
Narrating his personal encounter with the furious herders, the community secretary, Hope Osanebi said on one fateful day, he saw the herders with their cattle grazing on farmlands, the herders “threatened to fight me.
”I tried to raise alarm which attracted some of the villagers to come and assist me and they destroyed close to 200 farmlands which is about N100 million.”
