15 Edo communities, CSOs barricade Benin-Lagos road over herdsmen attacks

Fifteen communities in Edo State in collaboration with Civil Society Organizations, yesterday, barricaded the Lagos-Benin express road in protest over herdsmen activities which have resulted in killings, destructions of farm produce and forceful evictions from their ancestral homes.

The agfected communities are Odiguetue, Ofintebe, Igolo, Okokuo, Abumwenre I and II, Obarenren, Uhiere, Uyimo I and II.

The protest which lasted for several hours, led to severe gridlock in that axis.

Speaking for the communities and for the civil rights groups, Barr. Osagie Obayuwana, said they are worried about the looming crisis brewing in the various communities in the state, orchastrated by armed herdsmen stressing that urgent steps need to be put in place to checkmating them before snowballing into full blown crises in the state.

“We want the whole world to know the experience of our people have been for quite some time now.

“We are zeroing it on Ovia North East communities. About 15 communities have been under siege for some years. Farmers have been prevented from going to their farms, another planting season is going away, they have been sentenced to hunger, farmers and their families and this has an implication for the larger society.

“It is one of the reasons the price of food is rising beyond the reach of even those in the middle class.

“So far, we have not seen a serious efforts to address this issue. Our people have gone to various offices both the legislative arms and even traditional quarters and nothing seems to be coming out.

“Right now, the matter is degenerating to such an extent that people are being driven out of their villages.

“We are concerned that what had been happening in Benue and Plateau States will be coming to the shore of Edo State now where armed herdsmen drive people from communities, change the names of the communities and start to occupy the houses, we don’t want that”, he said.

On his part, the former Public Relations Officer of Edo State Civil Society Organizations (EDOCSO), Osazee Edigin, said the level of insecurity in Edo communities have gone from bad to worse and thus decided to join their voice with them to call on the governments to come to their rescue.

“We are here to support these communities that have been ravaged and sacked by herdsmen. We have seen it as a high level of insecurity in the state and we want the state government and law enforcement agencies to rescue them.

“We are here to amplify the voices of these locals so that the state government should intervene in this. If we don’t do it, we are going to have scarcity of food and more victims. (Daily SUn)