The Akwuete Council of Chiefs in Ukwa East Local Government Area of Abia has called on the state government to urgently check the activities of some herdsmen in the area to avert an impending crisis.
A spokesman for the council, Chief Chinonyerem Kamalu, made the call at a news briefing in Akwuete, the council headquarters on Monday.
Kamalu regretted that their farms were constantly ravaged by cattle, saying that the development posed serious threat to the peace in the area.
He said: “In Ukwa East, and Akwuete in particular, we have problems with herdsmen.
“Our people’s major occupation is farming, outside the weaving of Akwuete cloth by women.
“And today, no farm is spared as a result of the activities of the herders.
“They ravage our farms day and night, they sleep there and most of our vegetations are eaten up.
“If you go to our farms now you will only see few shrubs, but the grasses are all gone. We are afraid that under this condition, our farms can no longer give us good yield.”
Kamalu said that the council was surprised that a community in the area was made to pay N170, 000 to a herdsman through the state government, after some youths of the community allegedly killed a cattle in retaliation for the damage to their farms.
Other members of the council at the briefing included the Chairman, Chief Gabriel Achuta, Chief OkereEruba, ChiefOnyemaOlujie.
Others were Chief Rawlings Nwakamma, Chief Bernard Akwara and the leader of Akwuete youths, Chief NkemdirimOgwo.
