From Chuks Onuoha, Umuahia

THE people of Ezenta and Ezeukwu communi­ties in Bende Local Gov­ernment Area of Abia State said Fulani herdsmen have occupied their farmlands and built tents.

Chairman of one of the communities, Mr. Harri­son Eleke, who spoke with Daily Sun expressed worry over the activities of the herdsmen who have occu­pied their lands like people that have been authorised to use the farmlands by gov­ernment.

He said fear of the un­known had enveloped his people following stories of violent activities of these group of people, and their records of rapping and maiming women and any one who tries to resist them from grazing in their farm lands.

“We are now like a people living with the mind set that any thing bad can happen at any time, and that is why we are calling on both the state and Federal Govern­ment to come to our rescue over the occupation of our farmlands by the herdsmen whom we woke up to see in their tents, daily grazing their cattle with impunity.”

He said the community woke up to see the herds­men every where and have been managing the situa­tion so that it does not de­generate into something else.

According to him, the youths of the community are already agitated over the development but are being held back by the leadership of the community.

“These people came into the community since early June and have built their tents where they are living and grazing their cows. We don’t even know how many they are, but those who have sighted them put their fig­ure in hundreds.

“ Our people are afraid of going to farms in that area for fear of molestation by these people.”