Breaking News: Fulani herdsmen destroy N 20 million rice farm in Anambra

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Vivian Gist reports that three Fulani herdsmen in the
early hours of today set commercial rice farms worth
about N20 million ablaze in Ugbene community,
Awka North Local Government Area of Anambra
State.The rice fields belonging to farmers in Umualor
and Umuagunwoke villages occupy about 75 hectares
of land.The residents decried that the dastardly act
was as a result of their lingering feud which started
last year when the herdsmen allegedly trespassed
into their farms; an incidence, they disclosed resulted
into open confrontation of each other with firearms.
Conducting newsmen around the smouldering scene,
the farmers, some of who had tears cascading down
their cheeks lamented that they took loans to embark
on the agribusiness with the hope of paying back
after sales.
A community leader, Mr Emmanuel Ifesinachi
Okoye, lamented that “a message came to us this
morning that our farm known as Area 1 was set
ablaze by the Fulani herdsmen. We rushed to the
scene and beheld our massive rice farmon fire. Most
of us took loans to embark on the farming and that’s
whythere is sadness and wailing all over the
community. We saw them running into the distance
with their cows, and as such, we couldn’t chase after
them.”
Contacted, the zonal Chairman (South East), Miyetti-
Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria
(MACBAN), Alhaji Gidado Siddiki said “it is not true.
Fulani herdsmen cannot do something like that. It’s
those people that burnt their rice farm. We have a
committee that looks into such matter in Anambra.
They should go and report the matter there.”
Also, the Police Public Relations Officer, Ali Alphonsus
Okechukwu, DSP, said the matter has not been
tabled to him but said he’ll contact Achalla Police
Division for details and necessarily actions.

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