Women numbering over 500 in Delta State have protested the incessant destruction of their farms and crops by cows.
The protesters from Isoko North local government area on Tuesday held green leaves, went round major streets in Ozoro and stormed the council secretariat to register their grievances.
During the peaceful exercise, they displayed placards bearing different inscriptions such as “Our Lives Are In Danger, Fulani Herdsmen Leave Our Farms”, “Fulani Herdsmen Have Destroyed Our Means Of Livelihoods,” and “Carry Your Cows And Leave Our Farms”
Others are “We Don’t Want Herdsmen And Their Cows In Our Land Again”, “Your Cows Are Destroying Our Crops.” “Herdsmen Cows Have Destroyed All Our Crops”, ” They Are Not Only Eating Our Cassava Stem But Also Uprooting Them”, “Your Cows Have Destroyed Our Cassavas, Yams and Other Crops”, “Leave Our Farms” among others.
While calling on Governor Sheriff Oborevwori and the council chairman, Godwin Ogorugba to as a matter of urgency come to their aid, they lamented they are no longer safe in their own land for fear of any possible attacks by the herdsmen for trying to stop their cows from destroying crops.
“Farming is the only means of taking care of our families and sending their children to higher institutions”
Addressing the protesters, the chairman of Isoko North council, Godwin Ogorugba, lamented what he called refusal of the herdsmen to adhere to the grazing laws in the state even as he warned them against incessant destruction of farms and crops in the area.
He commended the women for the way and manner they coordinated themselves during the peaceful protest and assured them of government protection of lives and properties.
“The herdsmen are not complying to the open grazing laws. This is a peaceful protest and we have listened to you. We must surely act to save our people. If we have food insecurity none of us will be able to sleep in our houses or come to our offices to work.
“We will make sure our people can go to their farms freely and come back home. Our cassavas, yams and other crops and our people will be protected because that was why we were voted into office.
“Our governor recently called us all council chairmen to a meeting in Asaba and gave us the marching order, go and protect your people, lives and properties and the issues of insecurity must be taken very seriously.
“I want to use this medium to tell the Fulani herdsmen to stop destruction of our farms and crops. Our amiable governor, Elder Sheriff Oborevwori, is doing everything possible to tackle insecurity across the State. “, Ogorugba warned.
