The Digest:
Farmers and landowners in several Cross River State communities have raised alarm over sustained invasions of farmlands by cattle and armed herders allegedly wielding AK-47 rifles. According to residents who spoke during a live phone-in programme on HIT FM, Calabar, the incidents are prevalent in Odukpani Local Government Area, particularly in Ntan Obu, Okoyong, Atan Okoyong, Inua Akpa, and Okurikang communities. Villagers claim herders graze on cultivated land, uproot crops, and threaten farmers who protest. Some callers alleged that when farmers resist, herders report them to security agencies, leading to farmers' detention. The Secretary of Okun and Eniong Abatim Clan Council confirmed clashes have occurred in the Okoyong axis since 2019. Police said they would verify whether formal complaints were lodged.
Key Points:
- The persistent invasions threaten food security and livelihoods of farming families in affected communities.
- It deepens the farmers-herders conflict footprint into Cross River, previously less associated with such clashes.
- Farmers face economic ruin and physical danger, while herders allegedly operate with impunity.
- This signals potential expansion of armed herder activity into Nigeria's southern coastal regions.
- The timing, during planting season, amplifies the economic devastation for the current agricultural cycle.
Sources: Daily Post Nigeria, HIT FM Calabar
