By LEONARD OKACHIE

A herd of cattle, numbering at least 60, was on Monday morning abandoned by the herders in a private farm, situated at Ohokobe Afara-Ukwu Community in Umuahia North Local Government Area of Abia.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the cattle invaded the farm in the early hours of the morning and destroyed the crops, cultivated inside a two-plot, undeveloped land, with perimeter fencing but no gate.

It was learnt that the yet-to-be identified herders abandoned the cattle and fled the area, after residents of the community got alerted, mobilised themselves and gathered near the farm.

The residents, mainly the youths, some of which clutched machetes, alongside a few elders, were seen discussing the incident and its security implications for the community.

Narrating the incident to NAN, the owner of the farm and immediate past Youth President of the community, Mr Chinedu Nwoko, said that he was jolted by the ugly development.

Nwoko said: “At about 6.02am, a neighbour alerted me that herders led their their cattle and invaded my farm.

“Then I ran down to the place and saw the cattle grazing on my crops.

“As you can see, they have destroyed all my crops but the herders are nowhere to be found.”

He said that he cultivated yam, water yam, cassava, vegetables, okro, and maize, among other items.

“When you cost the extent of the loss, it will not be less than N5 million naira,” Nwoko said.

He said that he had reported the incident to the World Bank Police Division.

He, therefore, appealed to the State Government to take necessary steps to remedy the situation and arrest open grazing in the capital town.

“This invasion is not the first, neither is it the second, third nor fourth.

“It has been happening repeatedly every new farming season and they would destroy our crops and walk away.

“But, the difference about what happened today is that we caught them red-handed,” Nwoko said.

Also reacting to the incident, the current Youth President of the community, Mr Ifeanyi Nwosu, said that it was an “ugly development”.

Nwosu also expressed concern over the extent of destruction, saying, “though this has been happening before, this one is of greater magnitude”.

He regretted that herders had continued to invade people’s farms in the community, in spite the state’s Anti-Open Grazing Act.

He challenged the State Government and relevant security agencies to ensure effective implementation of the law to end open grazing and its consequences in Umuahia.

“This area is an urban community. So, it is worrisome that this should be happening here,” Nwosu said.

He said that the Ibeku Egwuasa soci-cultural organisation had openly condemned the incident and initiated talks with the leadership of the Miyeti Allah in the state on how to de-escalate the matter.

He said that the owners of the cattle had also decried the incident, adding that it did not authorise cattle grazing in the community, since they had designated grazing areas.

A community leader, Chief Jerry Mbonu, described the incident as alarming, saying that it was inconceivable that cattle could destroy a farm in such a fully residential community.

“It is unacceptable that such an invasion could happen here, moreso, in a fully cultivated farm, where the crops are expected to mature for harvesting in a few weeks’ time,” Mbonu said.

The people said that the development threatened the security of lives and property of the people and underscored the need for greater security measures.

Mbonu said that arrangements to constitute a local vigilance group by the community with full police approval had reached advanced stage. (NAN)