Edo community demands expulsion of herdsmen from farmland

The people of the Ogbona community in Etsako Central Local Government of Edo State on Monday trooped out on major roads in Benin City to protest the menace of Fulani herdsmen in the community.

Carrying placards with different inscriptions such as “Ogbona People of Etsako Central LGA Protest Against Cattle Rearers Destroying Our Land”, “Ogbona People of Edo North are Farmers who survived by our farm products,” the people demanded that the cattlemen should be compelled by the state government to leave their agrarian community without further delay.

The protesters marched through some major streets of Benin city to register their anger.

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Chief Vincent Usoh, spokesman for the community accused the Fulani herdsmen of wanton destruction of their farmlands and crops with their animals.

According to Chief Usoh, the cattle rearers have uprooted our cassava with which they feed their cattle while trampling on our other crops, including yam tubers which are not spared in the destruction by the herdsmen and their cattle.

“We are now afraid to go to the farm because many of us have been beaten up and injured by herdsmen for daring to ask them to stop the destruction of our crops and farmlands.

The community pleaded with the state governor, Godwin Obaseki and the security agents to come to their aid so that they can continue to go to their farms to avoid acute hunger the headers are trying to put on them.

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

He pointed out that the community decided to journey to Benin to express their frustration so that the government can act as they have reached the limit of their endurance and do not want to take the laws into their hands.