I-N-C-R-E-D-I-B-L-E: Herdsmen chase farmers, seize farms for grazing in Delta

Residents groan under food shortage

Cryy out to federal, state govts to save them

Farmers narrate nightmares; how they killed my husband, 2 children — Widow

We are in talks with Miyetti Allah on way out— Ajede, Ukwuani LG chair

By Ochuko Akuopha

Armed herdsmen have pursued farmers and commandeered their farmlands at Obiaruku, Umutu, and other communities in Ukwuani Local Government Area, Delta State, where they brazenly root out cassava, yam, corn and other crops cultivated by  farmers to feed their cattle. 

The invasion and activities of the herdsmen, who killed some of their victims and raped women have thrown the communities into hunger, as farmers, mostly women, have abandoned their farms for fear of losing their lives. 

At Obiaruku, headquarters of Ukwuani local government area, the Okpara-Uku General, HRM Jacob Egunatum, who spoke to NDV through the President General of Obiaruku Community Development Association, Chief Emmanuel Elike, lamented the untold hardship attacking herdsmen have subjected the people.


Saying that the herders had invaded the farming reserve located across the River Ethiope, the traditional ruler, he confirmed residents were forced to abandon their farmlands due to incessant attacks by armed herdsmen.

While reiterating that farming was the major means of livelihood of the people, he called on state and federal governments to assist the community to get the herders out of the bushes to enable the people return to their farms.

Nobody has gone to farm in the last one month — Odogwu, community leader


The Onotuku-General of Obiaruku, High Chief Dickson Odogwu, said: “For over one month now, nobody can go to the farm because of the problem of herdsmen grazing their cattle in our bush. Even if they go to the farm, the women will be raped. Many boys were tied to the trees and shot and inflicted with cutlass injuries.”

When they are grazing, they uproot the cassava for their cows to eat. Many of our crops have been destroyed. Before now, they have been kidnapping our people on a daily basis. This is a serious problem. Some of the boys and women come here every day to beg me to help to remove herdsmen from our bush so that they can get something to eat.

“I have reported the matter to the Divisional Police Officer and they have been  doing a very good job for us.”

They rape women, attack us in our farms —Mrs. Egunatum

Leader of the Otu-Onyejikeme Farmers Association, Mrs. Bridget Egunatum said: “These women you see here, some have husbands, and some do not have and they fend for themselves through farming which is our only means of livelihood. For over one month now, we have not been going to our farms for fear of herdsmen, who have taken over our bushes.

“They rape our women, cut them with cutlasses in their own farmlands. When we try to access our farms they chase us from our farms and now, hunger has taken over the land. We have been crying in our land. We were here; they kidnapped people inside the bush. One female farmer that plants iyeke leaf was kidnapped in the bush. Later, news came to us that she had been killed.

“Fulani herdsmen are driving us from our own farmland and we are in shock; we went to meet the chairman, he said we should be patient. When you sell cassava, you use the proceeds to train your children and pay for your house rent, but now we cannot even eat let alone have money to do other things.

“They uproot our cassava and give it to their cows to eat. All our yams, cassava, corn and other crops have been destroyed by these herdsmen. We cannot continue to sit at home doing nothing and die of hunger. We are calling on the state government to come to our aid. Government should come and assist us with food and remove these people from our farms so that we can go and continue with our work.”

They slaughtered my husband, 2 sons — Mrs. Faith, widow

Another farmer who gave her name as Faith, narrated how her husband and two sons were allegedly killed by the herders. Her words: “They came to our village called Ohonogbo. When they came, we ran to Obiaruku. One day, my husband said he should go to the village to pay some workers that were working on his farm. As he was going, herdsmen stopped him on the way and killed him and two of our sons. Since then, life has been hell to us. We are just managing to survive. Sympathizers sometimes assist us with garri, money and other food items.”


I can’t harvest my cassava, yam, corn —Atagoshi

Emily Atagoshi, also a farmer, stated: “Everybody is in hunger here and we have been buying food on credit. I have cassava, yam and corn in the farm but I buy food on credit. They uproot our cassava and give it to their cows to eat and if you ask them, they tell you it nourishes their cows.”

Herdsmen attack farmers with arms — Nwador, PRO

Public Relations Officer, Obiaruku Community Youth Council, Mr. Solomon Nwador, said: “They (herdsmen) are taking our land by force, uprooting our cassava and killing our people.  The trespass is too much; they will let us enter our farmlands from Umutu across the River Ethiope down to our boundary with Abraka and that is the only place where our people have their farms. Any attempt for our people to go to farm, herdsmen will use their arms and ammunition to chase them away.”

Farmer buy foodstuff on credit —Anwuli, trader

A trader, Mrs. Olokwu Anwuli said her customers, mostly farmers have been coming to buy things on credit because they do not have money to pay for the items. They buy rice, beans and other essential commodities from me. 


“They have been complaining that herdsmen are not allowing them to go to their farms. If you look at the market, things like garri, yam and plantain are scarce. Even the ones in the market are sold at cut throat prices due to the scarcity of farm produce,” Mrs. Anwuli asserted.


It’s very bad – Dafe, trader

Speaking in similar vein, another trader, Mrs. Tessy Dafe, who deals in tomatoes and pepper, told NDV:    “Things like garri, yam, plantain and corn are presently very scarce.  Sometimes, we will be here from morning till evening and nobody will come to buy anything because there is no money as they have been at home due to herdsmen attack. I will shade tomatoes and pepper here, and nobody will come and buy and they end up rotting because they are perishable items.”  

We’re stranded —Asanizie, resident

A resident, Mr. Donatus Asanizie, informed that indigenes were a helpless situation due to the scarcity of basic food items, adding: “Presently, things like garri and yam are very expensive. The few ones you can find to buy are brought from other communities and they are sold at far higher prices than they were sold when the people were going to their farms.”


We’re aware herders attacking farmers — Ajede, Ukwuani council chair

Reacting to the development, Chairman of the Ukwuani local government area, Mr. Solomon Ajede, disclosed: “We are aware that herders are in our bushes and we are aware that they are attacking a lot of our people. It was based on the reports that we gathered that we gave them advice through the traditional rulers to stay at home to enable the police to move into the bush to comb the area so that the people can go to their farms.


“Ukwuani people are predominantly farmers and that is their major occupation; I understand their feelings. Having giving them that advice so that herders will not continuously attack our people, we did not stay back and watch our people suffer. We initiated a peace talk with Miyetti Allah to be able to have a channel to talk to their people.


“We are not resting on our oars. We also partnered with Ethiope East local government council as well as Orhionmwon local government council in Edo state to comb the bushes.”

Ajede, however, lamented: “Our soil where they now hold sway, we are sharing a common boundary with Edo state. “

When we go for combing, these people retreat into Edo state and when we leave, they push back.”

Herdsmen take refuge in Edo when we comb bush
 
We have been able to comb many camps that they built in those places, but each time our people get there, these people are not in the camps. The police and other security agencies are doing their bit; we are taking things gradually.

“We do not want our people to die in the process of looking for food, but we know very well that the response the state government is giving to us and the cooperation of the security agencies, I know that in no distant time, our people will go back to their farms,” Ukwuani council boss stated.
https://www.vanguardngr.com/2021/08/i-n-c-r-e-d-i-b-l-e-herdsmen-chase-farmers-seize-farms-for-grazing-in-delta/

This is no longer funny

My pastor was kidnapped last week, he managed to escape

To travel these jihadist Terrorists have made it something else

THis is the reason ESN was established

But they headed up of killing security men and innocent people.

cocoduck:
THis is the reason ESN was established

Tinubuadvocate:
But they headed up of killing security men and innocent people.

Take them to court if u have proof

Ndi Ukwuani if you don't want fulani to destroy your farms again, call soldiers to kill all ESN men in Delta. Then they will beleive in your loyalty and let you be

Ipob's have a serious problem.
What is wrong with unreasonable Ipob.

Take who to court? What is my business with southeast my family or my tribe not living there. If ESN like they can level the whole of east and desert the region who care.

mrvitalis:

Take them to court if u have proof

And simplyleo have not rejected food over this sad and unfortunate news

Tinubuadvocate:
But they headed up of killing security men and innocent people.

stupid question

Hmm! God help us and heal our land.

Well, God willing, I'll soon go and join The Unity when he finally arrives. We will rid the earth of evil ideologies and forces!

Tinubuadvocate:
Take who to court? What is my business with southeast my family or my tribe not living there. If ESN like they can level the whole of east and desert the region who care.

Are you sure ...u have posted in more Igbo topics than any other topic

Okowa must go. We are tired of him. He is a sell out.

"Ukwuani"
They said they are not Ndigbo. So my people stand down.
I repeat, Stand down. This is not out fight.
We say NO to forming big brother

Ukwuani are the ones that claim they're not Igbo. It seems they're yet to notify the Fulani regime.

Nigeria talibans

It's appalling the kind of news that comes from this Nigeria. Communities are ransacked and women defiled without the police doing anything to protect the communities and arrest the attackers. These are clearly strangers from 100s of kilometres away coming to your land to kill, rape and pillage. I condemn in totality this brazen attack against NdeUkwuani. I encourage the youth and people of the area to rally round and defend themselves. The invaders are few compared to your population so I believe you can chase them away.
God Bless NdeUkwuani
God Bless Anioma.

Tinubuadvocate:
Take who to court? What is my business with southeast my family or my tribe not living there. If ESN like they can level the whole of east and desert the region who care.

You got no business but almost all your posts are about ipob/Igbos/east....
Hypocrite

November1857:
I-N-C-R-E-D-I-B-L-E: Herdsmen chase farmers, seize farms for grazing in Delta

[
“We do not want our people to die in the process of looking for food, but we know very well that the response the state government is giving to us and the cooperation of the security agencies, I know that in no distant time, our people will go back to their farms,” Ukwuani council boss stated.
https://www.vanguardngr.com/2021/08/i-n-c-r-e-d-i-b-l-e-herdsmen-chase-farmers-seize-farms-for-grazing-in-delta/

I can't wrap my head around why your people are being murdered and everybody is going about their business as though it isn't a big deal. It is either there is a spell cast over your people or you feel their life is not worth it.

I always give kudos to Benue people for standing despite all the evils fulanis have employed there.........

If South far away are hopeless how much more......... Benue

Delta youths should come together and fight to a finish.

If you dont defend your land now, it will go like Kwara state.

Where I laugh na where I see say them dey hold "peace talk" with their oppressors.

Indeed talk is cheap.

Tinubuadvocate:
But they headed up of killing security men and innocent people.

Please I need examples of security people killed by ESN

Why is there a negotiation ?

Repent now of your sinful evil ways to avoid spending your eternity in hell fire after you die. Jesus Christ love and warns you to repent and convert now to Christianity to avoid hell fire. Only Jesus Christ can save you by his death on the cross and his blood which washes away your sins, any other ways ( Islam, paganism, Hinduism, atheism, etc) can not save you. Be wise while you still have the chance accept Jesus Christ now and save your soul from hell. Be wiser than Satan and follow the one true God

Mangekyo:


The fulanis can't try any nonsense in my state.

Oga, they done come ooo

This is one their plan to provoke those Niger Delta guys they want them to react so that they can send soldiers and DSS to go and do what they know how to do best in South south. So i will advise those Niger Delta guys to do whatever they are going to do with wisdom.

The same PdP Igbos wailing say they will still vote for another Fulani in 2023

Supan:


Oga, they done come ooo

IMPOSSIBLE. Is There anyone that will see fire and then decide play with it? Mba! No one wants to play with fire na.... That includes abokey fulanis........ In conclusion; THIS IS FAKE NEWS from IPOB people. They want us to unleash our wrath and make fulanis disappear in a few seconds. But knowing how peaceful we are, we will not untill everything becomes obvious

Did I hear they're reaching out to Miyetti Allah for way out?

So that's all they can do?? Really, negotiating with murderers and criminals over your own farmlands??

These are the fools emboldening these terrorists

You will all fall to federal government sponsored Boko Haram if you keep antagonizing Biafra.

Mangekyo:


IMPOSSIBLE. Is There anyone that will see fire and then decide play with it? Mba! No one wants to play with fire na.... That includes abokey fulanis........ In conclusion; THIS IS FAKE NEWS from IPOB people. They want us to unleash our wrath and make fulanis disappear in a few seconds. But knowing how peaceful we are, we will not untill everything becomes obvious

I hope so too