Barely one year after the people of Agadama in Uwheru Community of Ughelli North Local Government Area, Delta State lost eleven lives to an invasion by Fulani herders, the invaders are back.
Port Avwon community in Uwheru area of Ughelli North Local Government Area, has been reportedly sacked by Fulani invaders.
However, the Delta Police Command has denied the report that Fulani herders had chased people away from a Community in Ughelli North of Delta State and have occupied the area.
The New Diplomat learnt that herders arrived the community sometime last week with thousands of their cattle which they dispatched into several farm lands where they commenced destruction of crops which were near harvest and allegedly chased away farmers from their farms as they spread around the area.
Speaking to The New Diplomat on phone, the President-General of Uwheru Community, Mr. Macpherson Egbedi, confirmed that the Fulani arrived a couple of days ago and they had entered the bush, destroying crops in their trail.
According to him, the Fulanis had entered Ohoro, Agadama, Uwheru and Port Avwon which they had taken over after chasing the residents out of the community, adding that unless there is a strong force, the invaders would not leave the community.
Egbedi said: “The situation now is that they have entered our bushes, destroyed crops and our people no longer go to their farms for fear of what they did to them before.
They have entered Ohoro, they have entered Agadama, they have entered Uwheru main town and even, people have parked out of Avwon totally. The people have fled and the Fulanis have taken over their houses.
Those who have been displaced have relocated to neighbouring communities. Like those displaced from Avwon have relocated to Oreba community.
“Following what happened last year or so, people thought the Fulanis will not come this year. And so, many people engaged in farming this year, especially in cassava, groundnut, potato, yam and other crops. It is almost getting to harvest time, now they have come and started destroying the crops while their cattle feed on some.
“They arrived almost a week ago. The police are aware. The government has not done anything, but I was told that we are having a meeting tomorrow with the Local Government chairman in Ughelli.
He added:
“For now, there has been nothing like loss of live nor destruction of houses. But they have driven everybody from the farmlands and now, there is no food for people to eat. They have destroyed most of the farms and crops. For about ten thousand cows to pass through your farm, you would know that there is nothing left in that farm…,” he said.
Expressing utter frustration with the situation in Uwheru Community, the executive chairman of Ughelli North Local Government Area, Godwin Adode, recommended the establishment of a military base in the area to ensure lasting peace.
However, the Delta Police Command has denied the report that Fulani herders had chased people away from a Community in Ughelli North of Delta State and have occupied the area.
Speaking with The New Diplomat in a telephone chat, the Police Public Relation Officer of the Command, DSP Bright Edafe, stated that the report by a national newspaper (not The New Diplomat) was not correct.
According to the PPRO, on arrival at the community, the Local residents chased the Fulanis away and while they were leaving, the people arrested a young man whom they believed was one of the Fulanis and they took him to Area Police Command in Ughelli where he was discovered to be an Ijaw man.
“If the Fulanis had issues with the community and the community chased them away, does that mean they have taken over the community?
They said that they saw some cows in some peoples’ farm, the community now mobilized to chase them and the Fulanis now ran away. They arrested one person and took him to the station thinking that he was one of the Fulanis. On getting to the station, the DPO now found out that the person they brought was an Ijaw person. The family of the boy came to the station and the DPO handed over the boy to his family and that is where that matter ended,” he said.
The Delta State Governor, Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa, had signed a bill to create a legal framework for anti-open grazing law last year. He also inaugurated a committee charged with the responsibility of implementing the law across the state.
