By: Ovedhe Jerry.
Hundreds of Aradhe community women in Isoko North Local Government Area of Delta State today held a protest over Fulani Herdsmen attack on their farms and crops.
The women who barricaded the entrance of the Ozoro Police Station with leaves chanting anti Fulani songs saying “Musa live our farm, we don’t want Musa in our land again, your cows are destroying our crops” amongst others marched peacefully to the Ozoro Police Station.
According to one of their representative, Mrs Christiana Akporeha who spoke to newsmen on behalf of the women she said the cows being owned by one Musa have destroyed all their crops.
She said, “Musa’s cows have destroyed all our farm crops and they are not only eating our cassava stem but they are also uprooting them. We have sometimes send our community leaders to lay the complain to the Police and they told us that we should come by ourselves that is why we came.”
“We all sometimes ago, contributed money to pay for a cow that was killed by a group of unknown person in our farm. Then we had a meeting between Musa and a Police representative. We gave Musa boundary were his cows can graze. But his cows have been crossing the boundary and invading our farm crops.”
Others who spoke in the same vein are: Mrs Magret Edoja, Dorcas Amata, and Rachael Omoraro. They all express dissatisfaction over the way the cows are destroying their farm crops.
Responding, the Divisional Police Officer of Ozoro, CSP Ngwu Attah commended the women for their peaceful protest and for not taking laws into their hands.
He said, “I have received your reports, I will send it to our Police headquarter in Asaba and the Commissioner of the Police has promised to invite all Hausa leaders in the state and they will invite Musa for a meeting. The meeting will be held in your community and top government official will attend it as well as Musa, Hausa heads and all of you that his cows have destroyed their crops”.
“I have been trying to reach Musa since last Thursday till now but his line is not reachable. I appeal to you all, please don’t touch any of his cow in retaliation. Because an Hausa man can kill hundreds of people because of one cow. I assure you all that this matter will be settled soon”.
The women also protested to the Isoko North Local Government Council where they were addressed by the Secretary To Isoko North Local Government, Barr. Vote Umukoro who pleaded with the women to be patient that government Will take over the matter.
