Indigenes of Amatebe, an agrarian settlement in Patani Local
Government Area of Delta State, have cried out about how herdsmen
collect cigarettes, beverages and garri as ‘ransom as well as extort
money from villagers, especially farmers and fishermen, to allow them
access their farms and fish ponds in the area.
It was learned
that the rampaging herdsmen have taken over portions of the community’s
forest, which serve as their hideout and grazing ground for their
cattle.
15 villagers held hostage: Recounting the ordeal of
farmers in the area, a resident, Meshach Selekowei, disclosed that the
herdsmen have become lords over the locals to the extent of imposing
their whims and caprices on the people.
He asserted:
“Sometime in April, 15 persons from the community, who went fishing on a
lake in the hinterland, were held hostage by a gang of herdsmen in the
area and they demanded for N10,000, a crate of mineral, four baskets of
garri and packets of cigarettes before they would be allowed to work in
the area.
Demand N6, 000 bribe from another villager
“The
same thing happened two months back when a man went to harvest fish from
his lake. The herdsmen accosted him and told him that if he really
wants to work in his fish pond, he must pay them N6,000 before he would
be permitted to work unhurt.”
For a farmer, Preye Ebiyerin, “I
suffered similar attacks from the herdsmen; they normally accost us in
the farms and collect the items which are either in cash or food items.
We have reported the matter to the Police at Patani Division, but as far
as I know, they are yet to take any action on the activities of the
herdsmen, which they keep telling us is a national issue.”
Police get anti-terrorism training—Commissioner
Meanwhile,
Delta State Police Command has initiated training of about 200 police
officers in ambush and counter-ambush (anti-terrorism) to flush out
gun-totting herdsmen from their dreaded stronghold known as “Sambisa
Forest’ at Ovre Abraka community and notorious flash-points at Ossissa
and other communities in the state.
The state’s Commissioner of
Police, Mr. Zanna Ibrahim, who gave the hint in an exclusive interview
with Niger Delta Voice, said the police would take on the identified
flash-points one after the other, pointing out that the combat exercises
were to minimise casualties, if any, on police side during the
operation.
Abraka residents roused: The presence of the policemen
in Abraka has ignited apprehension among herdsmen in Ovre-Abraka, while
residents, especially farmers, who have been unable to go to farm
because of the raging activities of herdsmen, were excited at the new
fighting points established by the police in the area.
Ibrahim
asserted: “Presently, we have 200 men on ground undergoing local
training; the exercises are very important because most of these
herdsmen ambush communities and police. So we are engaged in ambush and
counter-ambush (anti-terrorism) training so that we will be able to
reduce the casualty rate if any.”
Speaking on Ovre-Abraka, where
killer-herdsmen suspected to be fleeing terrorists from the North-East
had hijacked an area in the bush, now nicknamed ‘Sambisa Forest’ by
villagers, he stated unambiguously that police would enter the forest
any moment.
His words: “For Abraka, we have also identified
three flash-points already; everything is in place to deploy. We have
erected canopies for the comfort of our men in the desert area and other
places, and constructed fighting points with sandbags; we have about
eight fighting points in that area, and so we are going into Abraka.”
Okowa confirms planned invasion
Governor
Ifeanyi Okowa, who corroborated the police chief at a session with
journalists last Tuesday in Asaba, said: “We are aware that there are
challenges at the Abraka area. But I will not call it Sambisa Forest. As
I speak with you, in the past two weeks, two units of mobile policemen
which is about 126 policemen with some specially trained anti-terrorist
policemen, are already resident at Abraka, though at a high cost to us;
looking at the best avenues to get these herdsmen to move out of the
forest.
“It is something that has to be planned in such a manner
that we do not have any casualty. But these operatives are providing
security there and currently escorting farmers to their farms.”
Why
police avoid open battle: Commissioner Ibrahim, who was unwilling to
discuss his battle plan, added: “We have tried to avoid open
confrontation with these herdsmen because open confrontation does not
always solve the problem. If you kill their people, there is likelihood
of reprisal. If you kill anybody from the community too, there is
likelihood of reprisal and that is what we want to avoid.”
New
synergy with communities: He, however, said that the police have
received tremendous cooperation from the communities in recent times and
even the disagreement between the command and Ossissa community in
Ndokwa area of the state had been laid to rest.
“All along, there
has been communication gap between us and the community because there
is suspicion and distrust, but I can tell you that we now understand
each other better. We met at two levels, the level of the leadership and
the people, so we have agreed on some strategies to checkmate the
activities of these marauders.
5 flash-points in Ossissa alone
“We
have been able to identify five flash points and as soon as logistics
are made ready, we are going to deploy. Few days ago, the community came
out in numbers to clear the bushes so that we can come and erect our
canopies, so you can see we have a better understanding of each other
now. The hostility that used to exist is no more, “he said.
According
to him, “Like I said, we have seven major flash-points in the state; we
intend to take them one after the other, step by step, both the
communities, the herdsmen, indigenous herdsmen because there are those
that move from one place to the other and the sedentary ones.”
Mastermind,
Mudi nabbed: According to him: “Recently, I had a stakeholders’ meeting
at Kwale with the Ossissa community and other communities ravaged by
the activities of herdsmen and we had cause to arrest one Alhaji Mudi
Mohammed, who is supposed to be, according to sources, the mastermind of
most of the problems in Kwale, so investigation is still ongoing and as
soon as we are through, it will be made known to members of the
public.”
Herdsmen challenge not same in all states:
Commissioner Ibrahim, who attended the national security summit convened
by the Inspector General of Police, specifically to address the issue
of herdsmen, kidnapping and other violent crimes, about a fortnight ago,
with five other nominees from the state, asserted that the command was
encouraged by the support of the state governor.
“It is a
national problem, a lot of issues were raised, resource persons were
there and they proffered one or two solutions to the problem, but you
know every state has its own peculiarities. In Delta state, the problem
we hae with herdsmen may not be the same with that of another state, so
we are tackling the issue of herdsmen as it affects Delta state,” he
declared.
Activist blasts security agencies: On the activities of
herdsmen, who now collect ‘ransom’ from villagers, acting spokesperson
of the Ijaw People’s Development Initiative, IPDI, Mr. Timi Ogobiri, who
said that some of the villagers had complained to the group, accused
security agencies of treating the matter with kid gloves.
“The
revolting escapade of herdsmen in Ijaw communities in Delta State is a
slap on the face of Ijaw nation and I dare say that the people can no
longer condone this criminality and blatant defiance of the laws of the
land,” he said.
Food supplies drop: Findings by NDV showed
that for several decades, the access road to Amatebe has remained
dilapidated, in spite of that, agricultural produce from the community
manage to get to Yenagoa, Warri, Ughelli and other cities in Delta and
Bayelsa states, but lately, supplies from the community have witnessed a
sharp decline owing to the activities of herdsmen.
Vanguard