Herdsmen Killing: Okowa calls for intelligence gathering, as community protest

———By Ovasa Ogaga———-

Delta State Governor, Dr Ifeanyi Okowa has urged Deltans to adopt intelligence gathering and sharing strategies to check the menace of Fulani herdsmen in the state.

The Governor stated this during assessment visit to Ossissa community in Ndokwa East local government area of Delta State which has witnessed several attacked by Fulani herdsmen recently.

Ossissa community have protested against the continue grazing of cattle in their land which have brought untold hardship on their people following the consistent farmers and herdsmen clashes leading to deaths of their people.

According to the Governor intelligence gathering and sharing is the best ways to tackle the herdsmen threat. “You should identify, notify security men or government officials on the location of armed herdsmen and they will be dislodged.”

The Governor also decried the effects of Fulani herdsmen on Deltans, called on communities to be proactive, assuring that any herdsmen caught with dangerous weapon or perceived to be a threat to Deltans would face the laws of the land.

According to him, a detachment of Police officers would be sent to the Ossissa community to check the menace of the herdsmen.

He assured Deltans that the Federal Government was working on policies to check activities of herdsmen, noting that they should be patient.

While condoling the families of the victims of the recent herdsmen attack Ossissa community which left some persons dead, the Governor said, “No doubt, you people are in severe pains, unfortunately, we lost some people.

He emphasized, “Surely, the people who are carrying AK 47 assault rifles and other unlicensed weapons are not on the side of the law and anyone who is caught with such will face the wrath of the law.”

Narrating their ordeal in the hands of the herdsmen, some members of the community disclosed they have lost some of their people due to herdsmen attack, adding that even when they raised alarm of impending attack by the herdsmen, nobody came to their aid.

Hon. Joseph Kukaye specifically called on the government to take proactive steps to check the menace of the herdsmen because; it was no longer safe to go to their farms which have led to famine and low economic activities in the community.