Delta Farmers Abandon Farmlands Amid Alleged Herdsmen Encroachment
Community Reports Growing Insecurity
AN atmosphere of fear has enveloped Ike-Onicha community in Onicha-Ukwuani, Ndokwa West Local Government Area of Delta State, where residents allege that suspected armed herdsmen have occupied sections of their ancestral farmlands, disrupting farming activities and threatening local food production.
Community members said the development has prevented many residents from accessing their farms for almost four weeks, with women said to be among those most affected due to fears of attacks while working in remote areas.
Peace Efforts Reportedly Fail
Local leaders said they initially pursued dialogue in an attempt to resolve the matter amicably by asking the herders to vacate the area.
According to the Onochieze and Secretary to the Okpala Uku of Ike-Onicha, Mr. Ogbuiji Augustine Chukwuma, the community also collaborated with neighbouring Ogbagu-Ogume to remove the occupants after diplomatic efforts failed.
However, he alleged that the herders later returned, prompting elders to invoke traditional deities as a symbolic appeal for justice and protection after exhausting peaceful options.
The community insists that the traditional rite reflected the seriousness of the security challenge and the desperation of residents who say they have been left without effective access to their farmlands.
Livelihoods Under Threat
Residents warned that the prolonged disruption of farming activities is threatening food security and household incomes in the predominantly agrarian community.
Chukwuma alleged that repeated destruction of cassava farms and continued fear among farmers have left many families struggling to meet their daily food needs.
He called on the state government and security agencies to intervene quickly to restore peace and enable farmers to resume agricultural activities safely.
Authorities Move to Address Situation
The Coordinator of the Delta North Livestock Management Committee, Mr. Matthew Ujene, confirmed that his office received a complaint from the community and subsequently carried out an assessment of the area.
He said investigators located a camp reportedly established by a cattle herder inside the forest and that repeated efforts to persuade the occupants to relocate were unsuccessful.
According to Ujene, officials eventually dismantled the camp to reopen access to the affected farmlands, while the matter has been escalated to the Ndokwa West Local Government Chairman for further security deliberations.
He reiterated his call for the effective implementation of Delta State’s anti-open grazing policy, arguing that stronger enforcement would reduce recurring conflicts between farming communities and pastoralists while improving security in rural areas.
