•Armed Fulani herdsmen
Indigenes of Egbo-Kokori community in Ughelli North Local Government Area, Delta State, yesterday, barricaded the entrance to the Ughelli Police Area Command in the council, protesting the incessant attacks, raping and destruction of their farm lands.
The peaceful protesters armed with leaves mainly aged women, men and youths who sang, “we no want Fulani herdsmen in our community,’ disclosed that they have abandoned their farm lands for the fear of attack and rape, reports Vanguard.
Addressing newsmen, Mr Albert Oghenekparobor, a community leader said: “We are protesting at the Ughelli Area Command because of Fulani herdsmen that are destroying our farms with their cattles and at same time raping our women in the farm.
“As if that was not enough, the herdsmen petition and arrested our leaders at Isiokolo Police Division and when some of us got to the police station, we had a roundtable discussion that led to their release.
“After their release, the Fulani herdsmen came begging that they should be given time to leave the community and we signed an undertaking on when they would leave and they left as agreed.
“But recently, we were invited by the Police that there is a petition against the community that we are killing their cows, hence we are protesting.
“Our women no longer go to the bush because of the fear of being raped. All we want now is for all the Fulani herdsmen to leave our land, we don’t need them again.”
Another leader of the community, Benson Oshevire, said: “The herdsmen are raping our wives, daughters and sisters, after which they will uproot our cassava for their cattle.
“They are causing us pains as our women can no longer access their farms because of the fear of rape and assault on them. All we want is for them to leave our land.”
Philo Utuedor said: “We don’t want the Fulani herdsmen in our village again. As it is today, we can only go to our farms in groups as anyone who thus go to the farm alone would be abused and assaulted.
“Last year, we signed an undertaking and they left but we were surprised to see a petition and invitation that we were killing their cattle.
“The Fulani herdsmen will chase us from our farm and because of that, we are always at home and when this invitation came, we have to protest to let the world know what we are facing in our community.”
