Annoying reason herdsmen gave before attacking Delta women on their farms

Women in Ewu-Urhobo community, Ughelli South Local Government Area, Delta State, have lamented alleged constant attacks on them by suspected herdsmen grazing cattle.

The women, who staged a protest and blocked Ewu-Edjokota Road on Monday, claimed that the herdsmen attacked them on their farms with machetes for refusing to allow cattle graze on their farm produce, Newsmen reported.

The protesting women disclosed that some of them had been raped or killed by the suspected herdsmen who escaped into the bush after perpetrating their heinous acts.

They said that the herdsmen always argued that all lands belong to President Muhammadu Buhari and so no one could stop them from grazing their cattle anywhere they deemed fit.

Women leader of the community, Mrs. Queen Dieseruvwe, who led the protest, disclosed that the herdsmen would usually say that “all lands in Nigeria, including our communal lands belong to President Muhammadu Buhari.”

She added, “They also claim that we have no rights to prevent them from grazing on our farms because President Muhammadu Buhari owns all the land in Nigeria, hence we cannot claim ownership of the land.

“They uproot our cassava, feed it to their herds and when you try to resist them, they attack you with machete and maim you if you are lucky as some others, or even shoot you.

“So, this is the reason we have barricaded the road as all efforts to reach the governor, police and other security agencies to evict these evil herdsmen from our community have been futile.”

One of the villagers disclosed that the recent killing of a woman on her farm was the immediate cause of the protest.

The woman identified as Mama Ufuoma said, “She (victim) was at her farm with one of her children weeding unknown to them that a group of herdsmen were within the vicinity. The herdsmen immediately pounced on her and tried to rape her.

“While trying to resist them amidst screams, they attacked her with their machetes leaving deep cuts on her and fled into the bush when people came to the scene. She was rushed to the hospital after losing a lot of blood, but died at the hospital.”