ENUGU, Nigeria (VOICE OF NAIJA)- A coalition of South-East youth leaders has ordered the Fulani herdsmen to vacate farmlands in the Assa community in the Ohaji Egbema Local Government Area of Imo State.
The herdsmen have allegedly been occupying and destroying the farmlands since March, 2023.
The herders in a statement issued by the group on Saturday, and signed by Goodluck Ibem, the group’s president General, were given a two-day ultimatum to vacate the community.
The statement also called for the immediate arrest of the herders and the payment of adequate compensation to farm owners.
The statement regretted the economic losses the herders had caused the community residents, stressing that open grazing had been banned in the country.
The statement reads: “The attention of the Coalition of South East Youth Leaders, the apex sociopolitical youth group in the South East geopolitical zone has been drawn to the unlawful occupation and destruction of farmlands in Obasa Assa Community in the Ohaji/Egbeme Local Government Area of Imo State by Fulani herdsmen with their cattle whose wicked activities have brought great famine on the people as their crops have been eating up by the cows while also sending the community parking from their ancestral homes and community.
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“The issue of open grazing has been banned for a long time and anyone or group of persons still involved in such outdated practise is on a wicked mission to take the ancestral lands of the community they are staying in.
“The cattle they are moving around with is just a smokescreen to cover their real wicked intentions.
“What are those terrorists parading as Fulani herdsmen doing with AK47 rifles and other dangerous weapons if not to kill, rape and sack the community they are staying in. This madness must stop immediately.
“We demand that the Department of State Security immediately arrest those terrorists with AK47 rifles parading as Fulani herdsmen in Obosa Assa Community and we demand payment of damages for crops and farmlands destroyed by those cows.
“We give those terrorists parading as Fulani herdsmen 48 hours to vacate the community immediately and never try or think to come back.
“We warn that this should be the last time we hear such news that some herdsmen have taken over a community in Igboland. Enough said.”