This year’s farming season is taking off as the rainy season gradually sets in. One serious challenge facing farmers in Imo State presently, as well as in other parts of the country, is the menace of killer herdsmen and kidnappers who hide in the forests to carry out their satanic activities.
There have been reports of nefarious activities of herdsmen and kidnappers terrorising innocent Imolites especially, farmers.
From Owerri West LGA to Ngor Okpala, Okigwe, Ohaji/Egbema, Oguta, Isiala Mbano, among others, activities of herdsmen and kidnappers are said to have become nightmarish to innocent citizens, mainly farmers.
Infact it was as a result of the rising herdsmen menace and threat to farmers and food production, that prompted the Imo State House of Assembly to pass a motion resolving to invite various security agencies in the state, on the need to provide adequate security to farmers and their farmland against herdsmen invasion.
The Assembly noted that
that if nothing is done, the development will lead to food scarcity.
The question is: why would herders occupy peoples farmlands and forests without the consent of the host communities? More worrisome not only do these herdsmen occupy farmlands and forests belonging to other peoples communities, they also have the boldness to threaten, attack and sometimes even kill indigenes of their host communities.
In many parts of the world, open grazing has been phased out.
Modern cattle rearing is done in ranches. The advantages of this type of organised cattle rearing is enormous.
It is however, sad that the practice of open grazing and the resultant
frequent clashes between the herders and the host communities still subsists in Nigeria.
The herders have severally been accused of kidnapping, rape, robbery, among others.
Against this backdrop, Nigeria Newspoint urges the security agencies and Imo State Government to take urgent steps to clear the forests and farmlands in the state of criminals to enable farmers carry out their activities without hindrance.
This has become necessary in view of the high prices of food items as well as to forestall further food scarcity that could worsen the prevailing hunger in the land.
