By Davies Iheamnachor,
ETCHE—WOMEN of Igbo-Etche Kingdom, Etche Local Government Area, Rivers State, have protested the siege to their farmlands and willful destruction of their crops by suspected Fulani herdsmen, who point guns and arrows, threatening to kill them, if they dared to raise the alarm over their criminality.
The angry women, led by Mrs. Nkechinyere Nwosu, wife of the paramount ruler, Ekwu I of Umuekwune-Ohoro, Igbo-Etche kingdom, Eze Innocent Nwosu, stormed the palace of the monarch, to seek his intervention in the havoc being perpetrated by the herdsmen.
Tension: They said they were worried by activities of herdsmen in the area, calling on the state governor, Nyesom Wike, and security agencies in the state to quickly come to their rescue before it escalates to the rampaging herdsmen raping women, maiming and butchering villagers.
Speaking, the monarch’s wife urged the Eze to tell the governor that the women want government to stop the herdsmen from entering their farm lands with immediate effect.
Hunger: She complained that they face series of humiliation in the hands of the herdsmen, adding that destruction of their crops by cattle was causing also hunger in the homes.
Appeal to Wike: Her words: ”We want His Excellency, the governor of Rivers State to come and help us over these herdsmen and their cattle, they are destroying our farmlands. They use to come with guns and arrows, when we talk, they will point guns and arrows at us and that is why we do not complain because we do not want to die.”
Monarch demands urgent attention
Addressing the women, the paramount ruler of Umuekwune and Ohoro, Eze Nwosu, said: “We are peace loving people and we do not want to engage anyone in war, that is why we are calling on the governor to give urgent attention to the cry of Igbo-Etche people about the herdsmen. If herdsmen destroy our crops, what do they expect us to feed on?
Commending Governor Wike for some developmental projects sited in the area, the royal father urged him to pay urgent attention to the plight of the Igbo-Etche people, who he said were predominantly farmers.
Vanguard