Delta govt bans herdsmen in Ossissa

The Delta State Government has placed a ban on activities of the Fulani herdsmen in Ossissa community near Asaba, saying that the decision was informed by measures to check the continued violence attacks on the community’s residents.

The special Assistant to the State Governor on Non-Indigene, Alhaji Muktar Usman who confirmed this to journalists yesterday in Asaba, said the action followed the growing frosty relationship resulting in the killing of three herdsmen in one month.

Alhaji Usman said that in compliance with the directive, the herdsmen have relocated to Ogwashi-Uku community, while others moved to Anambra and the North.

He traced the genesis of the crisis to the herdsmen who refused to leave the area after the community demand for their withdrawal, following the destruction of their farmlands by the cattle rearers last year 2016.

According to him, the community has been complaining about the refusal of the herdsmen to vacate their area, adding that earlier this year, two herdsmen were killed, while a leader of the herdsmen, Alhaji Adamu Mohammed was killed last Friday and buried in the bush.

He disclosed that on the directive of the state governor, Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa, a peace meeting was held during which the commissioner of police advised bereaved family members against revenge as the police would deal with the situation and affirmed arrangements put in place to compensate families of the three herdsmen killed in the last one month.

While alleging that some persons have been collecting money from herdsmen, the SSA called on the people of the state to always report problems with the herdsmen to appropriate agencies, rather than taking laws into their heads.
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