Tension in Abia community as herders invade people's farms

Palpable fear and tension gripped residents of the Uzuakoli community in Bende Local Government Area of ​​Abia State, following the alleged invasion of farms in the area on Friday .

The traditional leader of the autonomous community of Ngwu Uzuakoli, Joseph Okorie, told reporters in his palace on Saturday that herdsmen had invaded people's farms with their cattle for grazing.

Mr. Okorie alleged that the armed herdsmen uprooted cassava and yam tubers from the farms for their livestock.

He estimated the extent of damage to farms at over 20 million naira. He said the incident brought misery to the victims, at least 15.

The Royal Father further said that the community had suffered similar attacks from herders for over a decade.

He said his own farm was once attacked, with many yams, cassava and vegetables “badly destroyed and wasted”.

Mr. Okorie was accompanied at the briefing by his prime minister, Kanu Imo, the general president of the community, Chimezie Ugorji, and other leaders, including Emmanuel Arisa.

They said their attackers always strike at odd hours of the night as well as on Afor market days and on Sundays, when people are not going to the farm.

They lamented that the attack persisted because local and state governments failed to intervene and stop it.

They said that the community had made several efforts to draw the attention of the real governments to their plight, to no avail.

Mr. Okorie recalled that the Uzuakoli Council of Traditional Leaders sent a Save-Our-Soul letter to the state government and the House of Assembly in 2012 following an attack.

He also said his community had written several petitions to the state government and copied the House of Assembly, the Assistant Inspector General of Police, Area 9 as well as the Commissioner of Police and other agencies of security in Abia on the same issue.

The traditional leader further said that the women of the community had organized several protests around the community as well as at government headquarters, Umuahia and Abia assembly to air their grievances and seek relief. government intervention.

He said: "During one of their demonstrations at the Uzuakoli Divisional Police Station, they met soldiers on the road, where they filed their complaints with them."

Mr. Okorie said the Nigerian Army 14th Brigade Command then invited the community to a peace meeting with the leaders of the Shepherd State.

He said the community had been advised to either sell their agricultural products to herders or fence off their farms to prevent future attacks.

"We are mainly farmers and agriculture is our only means of subsistence.

"We spend huge sums of money getting land, cultivating it, weeding it and maintaining it only to have these herders come and wipe out all our efforts at harvest time," Okorie said.< /p>

He added that the development portends serious consequences, including food shortages, for his community and surrounding areas.

Community leaders expressed regret that there had been no affirmative action by state and local governments, in terms of compensating the victims of the attacks.

They added that those who were physically assaulted and injured for daring the armed shepherds were left to their fate.

They cited the case of a native whose four fingers were cut off after confronting herdsmen to leave his farm with their cattle.

"The state government has failed to respond to our many petitions, whether for compensation or care for those injured by the shepherds," they said.< /p> READ ALSO: