Coalition of South East Youth leaders have asked Fulani herdsmen to vacate farmlands in Assa community in the Ohaji Egbema Local Government Area of Imo State which they had been occupying, destroying their farmlands and crops since March.
A statement issued by the group on Saturday which was endorsed by Goodluck Ibem, the group’s president General, gave the herders a two day ultimatum to vacate the community.
The statement called for the immediate arrest of the herders and adequate compensation be paid to farm owners.
The statement said that open grazing had been banned in the country, regretting the economic losses the herders had caused the residents of the community.
The statement reads “the attention of the Coalition of South East Youth Leaders, COSEYL, the apex sociopolitical youth group in the South East geopolitical zone have been drawn to the the unlawful occupation and destruction of farmlands in Obasa Assa Community in the Ohaji/Egbeme Local Government Area of Imo State by Fulani herdsmen with their cattles whose wicked activities have brought great famine on the people as their crops have being eating up by the cows while also sending the community parking from their ancestral homes and community.
“The issue of open grazing have been ban along time and anyone or group of persons still involved is such outdated practice is on a wicked mission of taking the ancestral lands of the community they are staying.
“The cattle they are moving around with is just a smokescreen to cover their real wicked intentions.
“What are those terrorists parading as Fulani herdsmen doing with AK47 riffle and other dangerous weapons if not to kill, rape and sack the community they are staying. This madness must stop forthwith.
“We demand that the Department of State Security,DSS, should immediately arrest those terrorists with AK47 riffles parading as Fulani herdsmen in Obosa Assa Community and we demand for payment of damages for crops and farmlands destroyed by those cows.
“We give those terrorists parading as Fulani herdsmen 48 hours to vacate the community immediately and never try or think to come back.
“We warn that this should be the last time we will hear such news that some herdsmen have taken over a community in Igboland. Enough said.”
