Abia women protest alleged farm invasion, rape by herders
Hundreds of women yesterday trooped to the Government House in Umuahia, the Abia State capital to protest alleged invasion of their farmlands by herders, who they accused of not only destroying crops but sexually harassing women who go to farms.
The protesters who came from Bende and Ahaba Imenyi in Isuikwuato local government area recounted their ordeal. A community leader, Mr. Ikechukwu Orunta, spoke of “atrocities being committed by the herdsmen” against the people of Ahaba Imenyi.
He said the herders had taken over the entire community with their cattle which destroyed the farms and polluted into the only source of water supply for the community.
“We have made several attempts to stop them to no avail and all efforts to get the security agencies to call them to order have failed,” he said.
A woman leader in the community, Mrs. Victoria Ifeanyichukwu, said women had stopped going to the farms due to the incessant sexual harassments by the herders.
“We can’t go to our farms for fear of being raped by the herdsmen,” she said.
Addressing the protesters, Governor Okezie Ikpeazu who was represented by his Principal Secretary, Engr Emma Nwabuko, said farmers were facing a lot of hardship due to the destruction of their farmlands by herders, but said the Abia state government had complained to the federal government to address the matter.