Farmers In Nasarawa Cry Out Over Incessant Attacks By Herders, Appeals To Gov. Sule To Expedite Action

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Rabiu Omaku

 

Farmers in Doma Local Government Area of Nasarawa State has appealed to the State Governor, Engr.Abdullahi Alhaji. Sule to as a matter of urgency sends an executive bill to the Nasarawa State House of Assembly so as to curb the rising spate of humiliated meted on farmers by Fulani herders.

 

A retired primary school teacher in Doma, Mallam Ogiri gave the indication during an interview at Doma, the headquarters of Doma, he said is necessary for the Chief executive to take stringent measure towards addressing the ugly occurrence in farms

 

He listed the ugly occurrence to include humiliation, intermittent raping of women and outright killings at gunpoint and destruction of farm product by herders as a serious threat to farming.

 

Other hiccups affecting farming include lack of loan, delay in distribution of fertilizer on time, no price control as some hindrances affecting farming.

 

He called on Nigerian Youths to embrace farming while considering the significance of agriculture to the economic development of Nigeria.

 

When asked on the relationship between farmers and herders, he affirmed that farms in Doma are under threat by Fulani herders’ right from planting to the harvesting season.

 

Also, a female farmer, Karimatu Musa in an interview said she used to harvest 20 to 30 bags of melon for the past four years unveiled the daunting challenges they are facing with herders, calling on the power that is, to be steadfast in the discharge of their responsibility by bringing such herders to book.

 

“The moment you cut your melons Fulani elders would handover cattle to underage for grazing and by the time they trespass into your farm is only God that would save your crops”.

 

According to Karimatu,” the majority of farmers collected loans from relatives to payback after harvesting,

 

Selected Journalists after an exclusive interview with farmers in Doma visited a private clinic, Alheri clinic owned by Abdul-Malik Osede to ascertain the gravity of laceration (severe machete cut) inflicted by herders on an innocent farmer, Mr. John Adegbo.

According to the proprietor, “I’m not at the scene of the attacked but I was briefed that a farmer reported a case of destruction of crops by herders to the security agents and the attackers whom he identified as Fulani’s agreed to compensate the farmer but later on promised to harm the farmer who on hearing the threat left his hut to seek for a refugee in his neighbor’s farm, very unfortunate for Mr. John who was a victim of circumstances was caught by the aggrieved herders”.

 

As at time press, the victim who was in pains did not respond to questions thrown to him on his hospital bed on what lead to the laceration.

 

A clinic-based statistics have shown that 10 persons were admitted at Alheri clinic with severe machete cuts inflicted by herders as from January to July 2019, also further investigation revealed that some farmers died of a heart attack following the destruction of their crops by herders.

 

Is on record that in 2017 a successful farmer, Baba Attah from Dadinkowa, in Sabon Gari ward of Doma Local Government died of heart failure due to the destruction caused by herders in his beniseed farm.

 

In 2018, Omaku Addra from Angwan Dawaki was butchered by herders while trying to prevent cattle from invading his farm.

 

The State Police Public Relations Officer, DSP, Ismael Usman could not be reached for comment on the recent attack meted on John for no offense that he committed

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