Ibeme communities in Obingwa Local Government Area of Abia State have condemned the destruction of their farmlands by cattle.
They appealed to the state government and police to move in and check the activities of herdsmen in their communities.
In a statement on Wednesday, leaders of the communities led by Chief Anyanwu Ukeru also dissociated themselves from a report on social media attributed to the communities, calling on Indigenous People of Biafra to save them from the activities of herdsmen.
The statement read in part, “Ibeme is a border clan, predominantly agrarian, peace-loving and hospitable and the people expressly depend and survive on farming.
“But sequel to the observable intermittent passage of herdsmen and their herds of cattle across our farmlands, we have resolved that we will not condone the menace of herdsmen and the destruction caused by their activities through open grazing across the communities of Ibeme clan.
“At the end of deliberation of a security summit of Ibeme clan comprising Oberete Isiala, Ibeme, Abala and Abala Nkamiri autonomous communities at Obete-Umuoha Civic Hall we hereby align with the existing Abia State laws which prohibit open grazing in the state and call on the police and other security agencies in the state to enforce such laws in our communities.”
