The leader of the Hausa community in the state has described the destruction as “unfortunate”.

A group known as the Enugu State Graduate Farmers, has expressed dismay over the destruction of its 35,000 hectares of rice farm by herders in the state.

The farmland is at Ojoloko farm site at Umuiba, Nara, in Nkanu East Local Government Area of Enugu State.

Some of the farmers who spoke to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Tuesday in Enugu, said all their investments in the farmland were destroyed by cattle.

They complained that the bank that lent them money was now after them for repayment.


‘After grazing, they set farm on fire’

Speaking to NAN on the development, the President, Enugu State Graduate Farmers, Patrick Mba, said that at every harvest, the herders would go to the farm, eat up their rice and set others on fire.

According to him, the farmers have lost billions of naira and up till now Sterling Bank is chasing some of them around because of inability to repay the loan they took.

“We are those farmers trained by the Enugu State Government during the tenure of former Governor Sullivan Chime.

“We started farming at Adani in Uzouwani Local Government Area, but when the farm was handed over to another company, we relocated to Nara where we have over 50, 000 hectares of land.

“We cultivated 35,000 hectares with rice both certified seed and paddy rice, since 2020 and in 2021, we borrowed money and did the farming, but when we were about to harvest, cows ate 80 per cent of the rice.

“They are in our farm on Sunday and Monday grazing and setting the rest on fire,” Mr Mba said.

He added that they did not confront them but reported the matter to the State Security Service, Amagunze Police Station, and also informed the commissioner of police and the Enugu State Government.

“We have once been invited for a meeting, but after the meeting the herders came back and did worse.

“We are appealing to the government to help us stop them from entering our farms as well as organisations to come to our aid as most have lost confidence in farming.

“Since 2020 that we started, we have lost all that we planted worth N1.5 billion, but this year experience was much,” he said.

Another farmer and leader of a farm cluster, Chukwudinka Ezeihu, described the attack as a total destruction, stressing that it has been devastating for them.

He explained that when they were expecting a quantum of yield from their rice they suffered to farm, they would wake up and see the farm destroyed by herders.

“This year alone, we have lost billions of naira. How do we pay people that invested their money in the business?

“When we sent out videos of the destruction early this January, I made a statement at the Amagunze Police Station where they gave us someone to mediate between the farmers and the herders.

He said that the herders agreed to compensate them for the destruction.

“How can they be telling somebody who had lost over N1 million that he is going to be paid N200,000 as compensation?” he asked.

Corroborating the claims, another farm cluster leader, Emeka Ugwuja, said, “If you go to the police there now, you will see five different complaints on the same issue. Most families are already leaving their houses.

“My own farm is valued at N10 million, they are negotiating to pay compensation of N500,000.

“Government should please chase those herders from the agrarian community as our means of livelihood have been affected,” he appealed.


‘What I saw was heartbreaking’

Chidike Ukoh, the founding president of the National Youths Empowerment Association, Africa, a civil society organisation, who inspected the level of destruction at the rice farm, said he received a call on the emergency situation of the farm.

He said Enugu graduates farmers were partners with them for over 12 years consistently.

“We have done some interventions for them and they are a wonderful and fantastic group.

“They told us that herders invaded their farms and destroyed it. I have visited the farm to see things for myself, the rice fields were burnt, (and) some packed rice were marched by cows, making it impossible to pick them.

“What I saw was heartbreaking as some rice heaps they cut waiting for threshing were set on fire. On getting there on Sunday, some rice were still burning,” Mr Ukoh said.

He added, “Our own interest is peace, mediation and sustained peace as a civil society organisation. Let the livestock and rice farmer coexist as nature provides and not one putting the other into indebtedness and suffering.

“Let there be security and with their action, the national food security by President Bola Tinubu will not be achieved”.


Leader of Hausa community speaks on the destruction

Abubakar Sambo, the Sarki Hausawa and leader of Hausa community in Enugu State, while saying that the issue of herders was a very complex one, described the situation as “very unfortunate”.

He said as the Hausa leader in the state, he has tried to maintain peaceful coexistence in Enugu and ensure that herders do not destroy farmland but where it happens, they should pay for damage.

Proffering solutions, Mr Sambo called for establishment of ranching to stop the animals from entering into farms.

“From the complaints I have received, the destruction is much, and it is saddening that people will cultivate and somebody will destroy it. We are doing our best to see that those involved pay compensation,” he said.


‘We’re doing our best’ – Police

Speaking on the matter, the divisional police officer in the area, who did not want his name mentioned in the story, told NAN that they were aware of the situation, adding that the division had visited the farmland several times.

“We are doing our best to curtail their activities which is becoming too much,” he said.

When contacted, the State’s Commissioner for Agriculture and Agro Industrialisation, Patrick Ubru, said he had been having meetings with Miyetti Allah on how to curb the menace, adding that the Enugu State Government had not rested on the matter.

He stated that attacks by herders was a national issue, stressing that it was heartbroken that after suffering, farmers would lose their rice to herders.

“Government is not resting, we are doing something. Governor Mbah has deployed security agencies everywhere to ensure that the state is secured,” Mr Ubru said.

https://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/top-news/663636-cattle-destroy-35000-hectares-of-rice-farm-in-enugu-officials.html

Economic and financial terrorists have taken over the land.

We the citizens need to wake up and start defending ourselves and our respective lands.

The contraption is gone to the dogs in every aspect.

Fulanis in Nigeria will pay for these wicked atrocities they tacitly support against indigenous Nigerians.

A time might come when Indigenous Nigerians will declare war on these murderous herders as they have declared war against Nigerians.


We are at War yet we don't realise it.

Indigenous Nigerians Rise and protect your .

lands from these vipers.

At this point in time, it is safe to say that Any indigenous ethnic community without a Defence arrangement armed against these blood suckers is playing with extinction.

The Fulani's who appear peaceful yet do not openly condemn this Atrocities against Indigenous Nigerians will not be spared.

When are we going to finally have ranching? Is it in 2075?

The cattles should have been shot at sight

Shame on you all

Esn and ipob are both criminal organisation capable of doing nothing , but steal and kidnap and molest the innocent in the name of a fictitious Biafra project

Wahala plenty for this country o. Hmm....

Whoa, that's sad. What a huge loss for the owners

elections have consequences was my initial comment BUT

Nigeria 🇳🇬 is ONE. Twin brothers & sisters don't fight.

They thought Buhari is still the commander in chief. To be sincere, the south have given these marauders enough chance to carry out whatever they wish. Getting government involved in such a matter can never work, the best is for them to rise up and fight for what belong to them.

Vanity

If am the farmer, I would have modulate the herders….teeth for don full ground

Fulani and all Miyetti Allah miscreants must be made to face the hammer 🔨 of the law.

Now before it's too late

Cows ate 35,000 hectares worth of rice. What sort of cows are those? How many cows?

This herdsmen epidemic has been ravaging the North Central for many years but southerners turned a blind eye because they were unaffected. Now it is at their doorstep and its making the news every day when as far back as 2018 in northern regions, people have to pray and make last wishes before travelling intra-state or wonder if hiding in a well would save them from bandits by nightfall but it won't even make local news.

No gree for anybody.


What are the duty of ESN and IPOB, I need answers from well knowledgeable person.

I thought their responsibility is to protect life's and property in the eastern part of the country.

I honestly believe the Nigeria government is being blackmailed by Fulani herdsmen

This is the main reason they can not CAPTURE or KILL them

Fulani herdsmen from outside NIGERIA have video footage of our politicians asking them to come into NIGERIA to help them win elections

This is the reason their leaders told Buhari in 2019 that THE NIGERIAN GOVERNMENT KNOWS THE REASON THEY ARE ON RAMPAGE

That the NIGERIAN GOVERNMENT HAS NOT MET THEIR OWN END OF THE BARGAIN HENCE THEY ARE ON RAMPAGE

The herdsmen may be threatening the government that IF they are killed - they will release these videos to NIGERIANS on social media

TRUST ME THE FALL OUT will be suicidal - for these politicians as citizens may embark on massive riots and ENDSARS will be a child's play

THIS is the reason the security agencies pretend as IF these rag tag militias kidnapping our people, raping our women and causing all

manner of havoc are invincible - Even senior members of the armed forces are in this same BLACKMAIL dilemma

IT IS TIME FOR THE APC Led Government to come out clean and tell NIGERIANS what that agreement is - THE DAY THEY TELL NIGERIANS

that will be the end of this insecurity - They are trying to negotiate with FULANI HERDSMEN to leave but the bargaining power is in the hands

of the herdsmen. THIS IS WHY they treat them with kid gloves even when they manage to arrest them - none stands trial - AND

even when they are locked up - A jail break is organized for them to walk away - and ONCE they "REPENT" - they are given money - recruited in

to the security services of the ARMY - POLICE and what have you - IS THIS NORMAL ? ---- there is a grand BLACKMAIL GOING ON and

NIGERIANS need to ask TINUBU and the APC to come out CLEAN RIGHT NOW!!!!!!!

Miyetti Allah

35,0000 hectares

Chai

How many Hectares is Enugu?

Ahhhhhh The Cows n the Fulani guys should have been butchered, instead of going to police. They own security agencies.

Fulani trying to take over the whole Nigeria.

35,000 hectares of rice farm ? Haba lie small small.
Enugu has such a rice farm and Africa is not food sufficiency.
The way all the Southern press lie self, especially South East.
What probably happens is Igbo kill Fulani's cattle and they run to the press to make such a ridiculous claim.
This is the templates Plateau Christians are using in Mangu. Kill Fulanis and rush to the press to claim victims

These folks are really a cancer.

English shaaaa,
Did yhu say CATTLE??

When you need "unknown gun men" to do the job but they prefer to kidnap their siblings, Uncles and parents for a token and even kiiil, maim, roast and 'chop' some of them.

But where are the cows?

MrProlific95:
Fulanis in Nigeria will pay for these wicked atrocities they tacitly support against indigenous Nigerians.

A time might come when Indigenous Nigerians will declare war on these murderous herders as they have declared war against Nigerians.


We are at War yet we don't realise it.

Indigenous Nigerians Rise and protect your .

lands from these vipers.

At this point in time, it is safe to say that Any indigenous ethnic community without a Defence arrangement armed against these blood suckers is playing with extinction.

The Fulani's who appear peaceful yet do not openly condemn this Atrocities against Indigenous Nigerians will Should not be spared.

Fixed

Imagine! This time rice is fvcking expensive!

When things like this happen, you agree with those who argue that South East needs ESN to deal with the marauders!

There was a country.

Triangles1:
No gree for anybody.


What are the duty of ESN and IPOB, I need answers from well knowledgeable person.

I thought their responsibility is to protect life's and property in the eastern part of the country.

Duty of IPOB/ ESN = oppress Cowardly wo-"Men" hiding under the beds on Mondays and run away to Abidjan when real men like herdsmen come on the scene.

Herdsmen can speak only one language- violence.

That's why Mambilla is always hot. They have militia that ALWAYS respond in the same language.

Kill all the cows and their owners