Fulani herdsmen soaring attacks in Ghana as frayed nerves linger in Benue, others
Just as about seven farming communities in the Sekyere Central District of Ghana, are under massive invasion by Fulani herdsmen as their cattle flee from Agogo and Drobonso, have appealed for presence of soldiers and police, Benue State government has made it clear that it lacks expanse of free lands to drive cattle colonies.
Cattle colonies became the latest terminology introduced by the federal government since it became clear that ranching idea was not accepted.
In Ghana, Nana Kwadwo Fordwour Odikro (community head) of Nkudwua, said the herdsmen and their animals had over the last few days kept pouring in as the joint military/police operation to evict them from the Agogo portion of the Afram Plains got underway.
He told the Ghana News Agency (GNA) that the people in the predominantly farming communities of Nkudwua, Gariba, Mantukwa, Didaso, Aframso and Asare-Nkwanta were now living in total fear.
Continuing, Odikro said the situation was not looking good and that there was real panic among the local population with many of them afraid to go to their farms.
The Community leader further indicated that any delay or inaction by the authorities would leave their food crop farms completely ravaged by the herdsmen and their cattle.
The alien herdsmen have over the years been accused of atrocities – killing, maiming, raping women and destroying farms and water bodies.
This has resulted in decades of tension between them and crop farmers, and matters came to a head, when some unidentified people, suspected to be Fulani, shot at and wounded three soldiers and a police officer in an ambush.
The officers were part of a military/police taskforce detailed to maintain law and order in Agogo to prevent what was already a bad situation from escalating.
Already, the Ashanti Regional Security Council (REGSEC) in a swift response to the shooting incident is now enforcing a Kumasi High Court ruling, ordering the Council to forcibly remove the Fulani herdsmen and their cattle from Agogo lands.
