Women lament herdsmen’s destruction of farmlands, crops in Edo community

Hundreds of Ikabigbo Community women in Uzairue, Etsako West Council of Edo State, yesterday, staged a peaceful protest against the destruction of their farmlands and crop by herdsmen, demanding that the nomads should leave the community.

The women protested to the palace of the traditional ruler, Chief Braimah Alegeh, where they registered their displeasure over what they described as ‘wanton destruction’ of their crops and farmlands.

Their spokesperson, Mrs. Rose Ekhalumhe, said the herdsmen have destroyed their farmland and crops with their cattle, adding: “They want to create hunger for us. They enter our cassava farms, uproot them and feed their cattle, while the animals destroy the remaining crops.

“They also do not spare yam barns. We are now afraid to go to the farm, because herdsmen had beaten up and injured most of us for daring to ask them to stop the destruction of our crops and farmlands.

“So, we are here to let you know that we are tired of their atrocities. We can’t farm any more and the herdsmen and their cattle have destroyed the little we cultivated. We want them to leave our land and community. We didn’t give them any land.”

The women also appealed to the state government and security agents to come to their aid so that they can continue to go to farm and avoid hunger.

Responding, Alegeh, assured the protesters that their grievances would be channeled to the appropriate authority for necessary action.

“I have reported the matter to the clan head, Ogieneni of Uzairue, HRH Kadiri Omogbai that I am being inundated with complains of destruction of crops and farmlands by herdsmen in my community and he promised to look into it,” he said.

While appealing to Governor Godwin Obaseki to save the community and the people from the herdsmen menace, he lamented that their unwholesome activities would exacerbate hunger in the community, if not addressed immediately, adding that the community had no land for herdsmen and their cattle.