FARMERS CRIPPLE ACTIVITIES IN ABRAKA

Economic and commuting activities were, Thursday, November 5, 2015, paralysed in some parts of Abraka, Ethiope East Local Government Area of Delta State when no fewer than 300 aggrieved farmers besieged the Royal palace of the community, the Abraka station of the Nigeria Police and other strategic areas to protest what they termed the incessant attacks of farmers by gun wielding Hausa/Fulani herdsmen.

The protesting farmers, who barricaded some major roads in the host community of the Delta State University main campus, chanted solidarity songs and carried placards which  among other messages that were designed to express their plight with the herdsmen, had inscriptions as "Hausa, you kill, you rape, you damage"; "Hausa/Fulani, stop raping our women, stop killing us, leave our farms alone"; "No grazing on our cassava farm, no to Mallam, leave our farms".

Protesting farmers 

Addressing journalists shortly after the protest, the President-General of Ukoko R' Oruarivie-Abraka, Chief Tedwins Joseph Emudainohwo, explained that the protest had become inevitable in lieu of "the despicable activities of the Hausa/Fulani herdsmen and their cattle that have, for years, led to the murdering, maiming, raping of our women and girls in Oruarivie-Abraka farmland as well as the
constant destruction of valuable crops and properties of our farming population by these gun (AK47 Rifle) wielding Hausa/Fulani herdsmen who invade the farmland with their herds of cattle".

Emudainohwo recalled that among the many cases of these attacks, "an Oruarivie-Abraka farmer was  killed by Hausa/Fulani herdsmen" on March 20, 2015, adding that although the assailants were apprehended and handed over to the Police in Abraka, the menace has, by no means, rescinded.

The President-General noted that farming is the only means of livelihood of the Abraka people who, he said, are subsistent farmers, maintaining that unless urgent steps were taken to mitigate the continuous upsurge of the herdsmen attacks, "Oruarivie-Abraka would be faced with hunger".

"It is important to note here that Abraka is Cosmopolitan in structure with many strangers and non indigenes who also living with us. Farmers from neighbouring towns and villages also farm, with permission, in our Oruarivie-Abraka farmland across the River Ethiope. Just as we are being attacked in our farmland, so also are these non indigene farmers being attacked", he observed.

While claiming that several unfruitful complaints have been laid before relevant authorities in the past, Emudainohwo called on security agencies and the Delta State government to wade into the matter and order the immediate relocation of herdsmen and their cattle from Abraka farmland, warning that "if this is not done, then we shall be forced to defend ourselves and our people from further attack".

On his part, the head farmer in the community, Mr. Duke Idigu, who also decried the spate of attack by herdsmen, said that the efforts of farmers in the community have been made counterproductive since the emergence of the Hausa/Fulani menace.