About 3,000 women farmers in Ebonyi have staged a massive protest against the rampaging Fulani herdsmen in the southeast state.
Vanguard reports that the women, largely elderly ones, who are from Ishiagu community on Friday, September 9, staged a peaceful protest to the palace of their traditional ruler, HRH Ezego Moses Ngele.
Ebonyi women are angry that their crops are being destroyed by Fulani herdsmen after working so hard.
They were protesting against the destruction of farm crops by the herdsmen.
Spokesperson for the group, Mrs Janet Aja said the women were registering their displeasure over the destruction of their crops by herdsmen that graze their cattle on their crops.
She expressed concern that the farmers may have nothing to harvest by the time the farming season ends.
She said: “The women are in your palace to inform you that our crops and farm lands are destroyed daily by cattle rearers and that we no longer go to our farms for fear of being attacked, raped or killed.
“Our rice, yams, cassava and other crops in our farms have all been destroyed and eaten up by their cattle.
Ebonyi governor, David Umahi has had his hands full trying to find a a way out of Fulani herdsmen attacks in the state
“We demand urgent action from you as the community father to end the indiscriminate destruction of crops and farm lands by these foreigners.
“We don’t want the killings and destruction we hear that happen in other communities between them and farmers to happen in our own community.”
Aja said the women are ready to employ every peaceful means to stop the herdsmen’s wicked activities in the community and eventually ensure they are evicted from the area.
“We hope that your Majesty will handle this situation by providing a lasting solution to the menace otherwise the women of this community will protest naked at Government House in Abakaliki, ” she added.
HRH Ngele expressed deep regret over the destruction of farm crops but pleaded with the women to be patient as he and the necessary security stakeholders are working on finding a permanent solution to the herdsmen menace.
“We sympathise with you over on the indiscriminate destruction of your farm lands but want to assure you that we will not relent in our efforts to find a last solution to the manace.
“It was good that you first registered your grievances with the palace and this shows the enormous respect you have for the institution and for me.
“We want to assure you that no stone will be left unturned in providing a lasting solution to the problem,”Ngele said.
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