How Fulani herdsmen destroy our farms, threaten our lives with guns – Rivers women

Women of Igbo-Etche Kingdom, Etche Local Government Area, Rivers State, have raised the alarm over the activities of Fulani herdsmen who always attack them and destroy their farmland at gun-point.

The women claimed that the Fulani herdsmen usually threaten them will guns and arrows if they try to raise alarm over their criminal activities.

The aggrieved women, led by wife of a paramount ruler, Ekwu I of Umuekwune-Ohoro, Igbo-Etche kingdom, Eze Innocent Nwosu, Mrs. Nkechinyere Nwosu, made the claim when they staged a protest march to the monarch’s palace seeking his intervention.

Mrs Nwosu called on the state governor, Nyesom Wike and security agencies in the state to come to their rescue in order to avert further crisis in the area.

She urged the State government to stop the herdsmen from entering their farmlands with immediate effect.

According to Mrs Nwosu,”We want His Excellency, the governor of Rivers State to come and help us over these herdsmen and their cattle, they are destroying our farmlands.

“They use to come with guns and arrows, when we talk, they will point guns and arrows at us and that is why we do not complain because we do not want to die.”

On his part, the monarch, while addressing the aggrieved women said, “We are peace loving people and we do not want to engage anyone in war, that is why we are calling on the governor to give urgent attention to the cry of Igbo-Etche people about the herdsmen.

“If herdsmen destroy our crops, what do they expect us to feed on? Commending Governor Wike for some developmental projects sited in the area, the royal father urged him to pay urgent attention to the plight of the Igbo-Etche people, who he said were predominantly farmers.”