By: Felix Ikpotor
Following the continued destruction of their farmlands and sources of livelihood by herders in Ueken Tua-Bue Tai in Tai local government area of Rivers State, locals are now calling on the state governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara to come to their aid.
They said for over six years now, herdsmen and their cows have been on their lands, thereby denying them from going to their farms and also harvesting their crops for their cows.
Comrade Ndorne Kelvin Leba,
Secretary General, Ueken Youth Leaders Forum, who stated this in a statement said the herdsmen threatened to kill them if they complain.
He said they have complained to all security heads in the area and even the council chairman of Tai but no result.
The youth leader said the call for intervention is now necessary because they don’t want to take laws into their hands.
” For over 6 years now, the herdsmen have taken over our farmlands and we don’t have any land for farming again.
“They’re harvesting our crops for their cows, also eating it and when we complain they threaten to kill us,” he said.
Leba added: “Because we’ve refuse to take laws into our hands, we have reported this barbaric acts by the Fulani herdsmen to all the security heads within the local government and we have seen no good response from them, instead the herdsmen are bringing more cows to destroy our crops.
“Even the Executive Chairman of Tai Local Government Council, Sir Mbakpone Okpe Friday, has done his best for them to leave our farmlands, but the herdsmen have shown us that they’re above the law and they’re the owners of this nation (Nigeria).
“So, we are calling on the governor of our beloved Rivers State, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, all the state security heads, leadership of MOSOP, KAGOTE, NYCOP, the civil society groups, the religious leaders, youth groups, etc to come to our aid before we (Ueken Community) take laws in our heads”.
