Residents of Ibusa community in the Oshimili North Local Government Area of Delta State have raised the alarm over the continued invasion of their farms by Fulani herdsmen who are destroying their crops.
According to the residents, for some months now, herdsmen have allegedly carried out series of atrocities across the Ibusa community, destroying farmlands, intimidating villagers as well as trespasses on ancestral lands without consequence.
The helpless farmers who cut across various quarters of Ibusa community, including Umueze, Umuodafe,Umuekea, Atu-farm road, Ogbeowele and others, lamented the destruction of their crops by roaming cattles, accused the community’s traditional ruler and the council chairman of what they called ‘deafening silence’ and complicity.
“Despite all our cry and complaints over the mass destruction of our crops and plants by the Fulani herdsmen, the community traditional ruler and the chairman of Oshimili local government area, have continued to pay deaf ears to us while our crops are been destroyed every day by day and if you challenge the herdsmen, you will be attacked and even sanctioned by the palace.
“All our complaints to the community security outfits have also gone unanswered, as most local enforcement groups are now afraid to confront the herders who are currently enjoying serious backing from the palace.
“What began as isolated cases of cattle invasion of farmlands in the community, has now escalated into a full-blown security threat in Ibusa and if urgent steps are not taken a full blown crisis may erupt at the end the monarch’s growing partnership with Fulani herdsmen stemmed from his decision to hand over cows that were freely donated to him by Ibusa indigenes and well-wishers to Fulani herders for rearing. We get death threats every time from the Fulani herdsmen, we can no longer visit our farms for fear of attacks by the arms carrying Fulani herdsmen”, one of the farmers lamented.
A resident and farmer who simply identified herself as Ngozi, lamented the situation in the community, saying that “What began as a gesture of goodwills to the traditional ruler by his subjects and well wishers has now evolved into a dangerous alliance that has compromised community safety and gave herdsmen the right to act with impunity.
“The king now protects the Fulani herdsmen because they rear his cows. They destroy our farms, threatened to kill us if we complain and nobody can complain anymore. If you challenge the herdsmen, the palace will sanction you.
“The herdsmen are now untouchable because they rear the monarch’s cows. Even when they destroy farms and threaten us, no one dares to report because the palace will dismiss it. Our local government chairman can’t take any step without the king’s approval. He knows what’s going on, but he’s too loyal or too afraid to confront the issue. I am pleading with Ibusa sons and daughters and non indigenes to desist from giving live cow gifts to the traditional ruler as it has become a curse on the town.”, Ngozi stated.
Speaking with SaharaReporters during a visit to some of the affected farms, Onowu Sunday Otomah, Oranebo Endurance and Joshua Peremobowei, estimated their crops and other plants destroyed by the Fulani herdsmen to over N5million and called on governor Sheriff Oborevwori, the State commissioner of police and other spirited indigenes of the community to intervene in the mass destruction of their crops by the herdsmen.
SaharaReporters reliably gathered that, despite repeated calls for intervention, there has been no official response from the Ibusa Palace as of press time.
Efforts to contact the traditional council were unsuccessful, as aides declined to comment.
