By Ikenna Orioha
In order to have food security and maintain peace, farmers in Obitti, Ihie, Awarra (Ochia) and Umuapu communities of Ohaji, Imo State, have lamented series of attacks by Fulani herdsmen. They complained that they destroy their farm products, as well as chase them out of their farms with government and security operatives doing practically nothing to salvage the ugly situation.
The farmers who spoke to our reporter through Iheka Christopher and John Okeka, on phone on Monday, said “for more than 20 years, Obitti, Ihie, Umuapu and Awarra communities who farm within the Imo Rubber Estate (Obitti) where Fulani herdsmen mainly rear their cows are always attacked and our farm products eaten by cows and destroyed by herdsmen who value their cattle more than human beings”.
Okeka and Iheka stressed that because of the attacks and destruction of their farms they “no longer farm actively. And hunger is hitting many of us adversely. Many farmers in the area are now weakened and demoralized to farm.
“We have laid series of complaints to government and security operatives without any positive action as the Fulani herdsmen have since January, 2020, reinforced and life has been hard with us. Unless government wants us to take laws into our own hands we cannot just fold our hands while hunger and insecurity ravage us”.
According to the people, “army and police who guard oil company workers and their facilities patrol the area, but do nothing to sanction Fulani herdsmen who they see attack the farmers and dispossess them of their lands”
The farmers recalled that “Fulani herdsmen invaded Ihie community, killed and maimed scores of persons and government did nothing to sanction them and this encourages them more to encroach our lands and destroy our farms”.
They added that farmers and farmlands in communities of Ohaji such as Obitti, Ihie, Mgbuishi, Mgbirichi, Abakuru, Umuapu, Ohoba, Umuagwo, Assa, Obile, Awarra, Ochia, Obosima, Amafo, Umunwaku, Umuokanne among others have been under attack by Fulani cattle rearers who they asked to leave their lands since they are bent to breach peace and cordiality in their lands.
