Complaints have continued to emanate from communities in Rivers State regarding alleged invasions from herdsmen despite the one week old law against open grazing in the state. This is as a non-governmental organization (NGO) has called on the state government to enforce the law it enacted and protect the communities and farmers.
Reports from Eleme area of the state show more alarm. A report by a non-governmental organization (NGO), Youths and Environmental Advocacy Centre (YEAC), has decried the continuous invasion of farms by suspected herdsmen, shooting, raping, abducting and abusing the rights of farmers despite the passage and assent to Anti-Open Grazing Laws.
The report which was distributed by Fyneface D. Fyneface of Environmental Justice Activist, Human Rights Defender and Executive Director, Advocacy Centre, said injury to one must be seen as injury to all.
He recalled that the governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike had on Thursday, August 19, 2021 assented to the new law and this had caused excitement in the communities.
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Now, few days after, herdsmen were said to have invaded farms in Eleme Local Government Area, attacking farmers, shooting sporadically, creating fear, raping women, abusing their rights and allegedly abducting one of the ladies said to have been hired to work in a cassava farm.
According to volunteers of an NGO, the incident took place in Agbon-Chia Farms on Wednesday, August 25. In the past, volunteers had reported similar incident of herdsmen invading and attacking farmers at the Agbon-Chia Farms, raping women and abusing their rights.
Speaking, an Agbon-Chia woman confirmed the incident adding that the lady kidnapped by the herdsmen is from Ogoni and that she came for job in the community.
It was gathered that some that some of the women attacked reported that they had their legs and hands tied after raping them and then left to call others to take their turn but they were able to loosen the ropes and escaped before they returned.
Advocacy Centre called on the Rivers State Governor to ensure the implementation of extant laws on this and related issues to protect and provide security for citizens in the State to avoid re-occurrence.
