Community Cries Out As Cattle Ravage Farms

The people of Aminigbokoi in Emughan Clan of Abua in the Abua/Odual Local Government Area of Rivers State have raised alarm over the destruction of their crops occasioned by indiscriminate cattle grazing on their farmland.

The chairman,  Community Development Committee (CDC) of Aminigboko, Mr. Chukwudi Georgewill, who spoke to our correspondent over the weekend in aminigboko said that the unchecked activities of the cattle   rearers on a daily basis had destroyed crops on the farms of helpless women.

According to him, the development was capable of formenting trouble between the cattle rearers and the community.

Mr. Georgewill said in order to check any breakdown of law and order in the community, the Rivers State Government  and the local government council should take urgent steps to check the  menace.

He said several efforts to check the excesses  of the herdsmen have proved abortive as he alleged that the cattle handlers were always armed with dangerous weapons, and  reacted  violently even without provocation.

The CDC chairman explained that the Aminigboko people were known for their peaceful disposition that was why they were calling on the  authorities to take appropriate action.

He also called on the owners of the cattle to identify themselves with the community so that when crops were destroyed by their animals  they would be held responsible. A cross section of some of the indigenes spoken to corroborate the CDC Chairman’s claims.

According to Omanoye Osele, a subsistence farmer,  the cattle rearers  always carry  dangerous weapons and when they destroy crops, nobody challenges them because of fear of being attacked.

For Miss Ima Benson and Ezo Motto, the story was the same. They said each time, they go to the farm, they were confronted by these animals  which always block the track roads leading to their farms.

According  to them, in some instances they were forced to return to their houses, leaving  their farms at the mercy of the destructive animals.

However,  when  contacted on the issue, the paramount ruler of Emughan Clan, His Royal Highness, Thankyou Wariboko Obagana IV said that each time the cattle handlers were  confronted they always proved adamant.

According to him, it was not lost on the community that the owners of these cattle were highly placed and dislodging them has been a big challenge for the community.

He said cattle grazing in the community was costing  the peasant farmers losses yearly and called on the appropriate authority to come to their aid before the situation gets out of hand.