A State of Emergency should be urgently declared in Abavo in Ika South following the terror that is being unleashed on the people by Fulani herdsmen.
This is imminent because the unabated killing,kidnap, rape,maiming and torture of innocent farmers in Abavo on daily basis by the herders has remained unchecked.
For the past three months, farmers cannot go to their farms, the ones that had yam barns in their farms have been converted as food for the cattle by the alleged herders.
Some of the farmers spoken to in the town called on the Federal,States ,and local Government as well as other stakeholders to come to their aid to avoid breakdown of law and order.
In a press statement on the nefarious activities of the herders,the traditional Ruler of Abavo Kingdom, Obi Uche Irenuma 11 raised alarm over the invasion of his kingdom by persons suspected to be Fulani herdsmen.
Obi Irenuma announced that two of his subjects have been kidnapped along the Obianyima– Okpe road and that tension had heightened in the community as a result of the unwholesome activities of the herdsmen.
The Abavo Monarch who gave an insight in the activities of the herders explained that yam barns in farms owned by his subjects had been destroyed by the invaders who allegedly cut the tubers of yam to feed their cattle in addition to the destruction of other economic crops like cassava.
Obi Uche Irenuma 11 said as a result of the herders menace, residents of the area had abandoned their farms for fear of either being kidnapped, killed or rapped.
The Royal affirmed that to forestall break down of law and order in the community, a stakeholders meeting held at his palace some time ago where it was agreed that peace and order should reign between the herders and the host community.
He maintained that at the Stakeholders meeting attended by the police, SSS,the Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Non- indigenes, Alhaji Murkta, the Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Security Matters. Ogbueshi Cassidy Iloba, the Leader of Miyety Allah in Ika South and Ika North East and the Ika south council Chairman, Hon Victor Okoh the herders pledged to be of good conduct.
The Monarch however contended that the engagement of the Fulani herdsmen had proved the contrary adding that their activities had tended to cause security breach in the community hence he decided to alert the authorities.
He therefore appealed to the state government, the state police command and other security agencies to quickly intervene to avert a breakdown of law and order in the agrarian community as the whereabout of the two missing indigenes of the kingdom is still unknown.
He said investigation had revealed that the herders were operating more than seven camps in Obianyima, Ekwuoma, Azuowa and Oyoko communities in his Kingdom.