Jattu: No fewer than 100 families have abandoned their means of livelihood farming in the agrarian community of Jattu in Etsako west local government area of Edo State to avoid the wanton destruction of lives and property in the wake of conflicts which followed the destruction of farmlands by herders and bandits.
Clashes involving farmers/herders crisis on November 20th 2021 was said to have culminated into a full blown crisis leading to destruction and burning down of houses as several families have continued to flee and abandon their homes for safety.
According to a local source simply identified as Mustapha in the community, normadic herders with their cattle destroyed large expanse of farmlands belonging to indegenes including one owned by the chairman of association of farmers with the largest farmland in the community.
“Herders with their cattle entered into the farmland of a big commercial farmer and chairman of farmers in the community known as Eugene Ehiforia Ikhariale, destroyed all his crops as his wife who was also working in the farmland watched helplessly as the cattle ate up every crops in the farmland.” Mustapha said.
Mustapha said that the farmland belonging to Eugene and his wife Osatohanmwen Emerald Ekhator was the largest in the community and as such herders bring their cattle every time to destroy crops by grazing on it.
On November 20th 2021, banditry and farmers/herders crisis in the community was mainly responsible for the displacement of over 100 local indigenes who are mainly commercial farmers in the community as bandits and herders from neighbouring communities attacked housing settlement setting them ablaze as sporadic gunshots were heard in different parts of the agrarian community .
Also, another farmer identified as Sule Augustine was violently attacked in his farmland by herders when he attempted to stop the cattle from grazing on his crops.
Bello, a local rice farmer who attempted to stop cattle from grazing on his farmland was shot in his legs while working on his rice farm when herders with their cattle entered into his farmland and destroyed his entire crops.
Many displaced families, at the time of this report, were seen seeking refuge in churches, mosques and public buildings and other places deemed safe in order to avoid being caught up in the wanton destruction of lives and property while others escaped through coastal river surrounding the community to seek refuge elsewhere .
As farmers leave in droves under heightened insecurity, there are growing concerns over food security crisis plaguing several neighbouring communties following the rising cases of incessant attacks on lives and farmlands by bandits and herders.
Meanwhile, Assemblies of God church where the resident pastor in charge, Pastor Ikhimwin known for taking helpless local indigenes in for refuge during the attack, also escaped for his life during the attack which left the church burnt down.
