The Ndiolumbe Nvosi Autonomous Community in Isiala Ngwa South Council of Abia state is said to be set for a showdown with the Fulani herdsmen over the refusal of cattle grazing in their lands.
The cases of invasion of farmland which the Fulani herdsmen have always been linked to first started in the Northern part of Nigeria till it snowballed to other regions.
Abia state, which is no stranger to the deadly attacks of the Fulani herdsmen, is being assured of peace by their state Government after the herdsmen attacked a farm in the Over Rail Area of Uzuakoli, thereafter leaving several dead bodies.
The Fulani men have been linked to several farm attacks through forceful invasion of the lands, destruction of crops, and sometimes as far as killing the owners of the land who dare to challenge or rebuke them from their vicinity.
In a bid to stop the recent crisis looming in the state, the traditional rulers of Ndiolumbe Nvosi, Eze Godwin Ogonna, disclosed that they had initially settled the Fulani’s brouhaha but was surprised to see one Mohammed Shuaibu come back to query the community over their decision.
He said, “One Mohammed Shuaibu came from Okigwe. He was very furious and queried why the community should drive the herdsmen away. He said the herdsmen were ready to pay compensation for damaged crops and insisted that they must be allowed to come back to the community.
“We told them that we don’t need their compensation; all we want was for them to vacate our land. He told me that they (herdsmen) had conducted a survey of our community and found it extremely suitable for grazing” Eze Ogbonna said.
The monarch said his people are now living in fear because of the position taken by Mohammed Shuaibu, saying that after storming out of his palace, he said the herdsmen would be back next Monday to negotiate the compensation for the damaged crops to enable them to return to the community.
“He has been calling me constantly on the phone. We are very frightened that if the matter was not urgently resolved, the herdsmen may invade our community. Already women are afraid of going to the farms as the herdsmen now climb treetops to keep vigilance while their cattle graze”, Eze Ogbonna said.
He called on the Abia State Government to urgently intervene to save his community from any ugly incident, pointing out that he had already reported the matter to the state government as well as the Council chairman.
It was learnt that the state government has waded into the matter through the Security Adviser to the Governor, Captain Awah Udonsi.