Women from Obinolu Ngodo in Umunneochi Local Government Area of Abia State have protested at the local government secretariat over alleged destruction of their farmlands by herdsmen.
The protesters, who came from different villages in Obinolu, accused herders of invading their farms, uprooting cassava tubers and feeding them to cattle.
They also alleged that large herds of cattle had trampled on other crops, raising concerns over food security and the potential impact on livelihoods in the community.
Carrying cassava stems they said were uprooted from their farms, the women marched to the Umunneochi Local Government headquarters in Nkwoagu, where they appealed to the government to intervene.
The protesters said the alleged farm invasion had persisted in recent weeks, adding that many farmers were becoming afraid to access their farmlands because of the presence of herdsmen.
Some of the placards displayed during the protest read: “Our people may die of hunger,” “We are now afraid to enter our farms,” “We don’t want Fulani herdsmen in our farms,” and “Government, save us now.”
Responding to the protesters, Chairman of Umunneochi Local Government Area, Sunny Afurobi, acknowledged receiving similar reports of farm destruction from another community.
Afurobi assured the women that the local government would investigate the allegations and work towards addressing the situation.
He said the Abia State Government, under Governor Alex Otti, remained committed to protecting residents and addressing security concerns across the state.
“We will investigate the problem because we cannot abandon our farms,” Afurobi told the protesters.
