Igbo women have called for the disarming of violent herdsmen wreaking havoc in various agrarian communities in South East.The women, under the umbrella of Igbo Women Assembly (IWA), shared their grievances at a press conference in Umuahia, Abia State.
The women lamented that farmers are now scared of going to their farms due to the incessant attacks and criminal activities of herders. They called for the dismantling of multiple military checkpoints across South East, claiming that they are stifling the economy of the zone and driving away the youths who allegedly suffered humiliation and molestation at some of the checkpoints.
The IWA National President, Lolo Nneka Chimezie, urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, to quickly come to the rescue of Igbo rural dwellers who are mostly farmers “as they no longer go to farm”, as a result of incessant unprovoked attacks by criminal herders.
Lolo Nneka, who was flanked by other women, regretted that no arrests had been made after the recent barbaric slaughter of farmers including two brothers in Enugu State by suspected herders.
The IWA President argued that since there is no case of cattle rustling in the South East, no herder in the zone should be allowed to bear weapons. She said that “the excuse by the former President that he permitted herdsmen to bear arms because of cattle rustlers” is lame and should not apply in the South East, as there has not been any incident of cattle rustling in the zone.
The women lamented that despite killings and maiming of innocent citizens by murderous herders, security agencies are yet to frontally engage the perpetrators. They urged South East Governors to enact and strictly enforce anti-grazing laws to help checkmate the activities of herdsmen in the zone.
The women said, ”Igbo people are all over the country doing their businesses. We buy our shops and build them. The same way, cattle rearing is a big business. Herdsmen should be made to buy lands for ranches and stop using their cows to inflict sorrows and economic pains on us.”
Insisting that some people should not be treated as sacred cows at the expense of fellow nationals, they said, ”You cannot use your cow to destroy my crops and later sell it to me. It doesn’t make sense.”
