Women numbering over 500 in Delta State on Tuesday, protested against Fulani herdsmen over incessant destruction of their farms and crops by cows.
The protesting women from Isoko North local government area holding leaves, moved round major streets in Ozoro and stormed the council secretariat to register their grievances.
During the peaceful protest, the protesters 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 include, “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 urgently come to their aid, they lamented the protesters said they were no longer safe in their own land for fear of possible attacks by the herdsmen if 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,” they said.
Addressing the protesters, chairman of the council, Ogorugba, lamented what he called refusal of the herdsmen to adhere to the grazing laws in the state even.
He warned against incessant destruction of farms and crops in the area.
The Chairman thanked and commended the women for the way and manner they conducted 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,” he said.
