11/12/2025
Massive Protest in Igbodo Kingdom as Residents Cry to Government Over Farmland Invasion by Herdsmen
Ika Weekly Newspaper
Residents of Igbodo Kingdom in Ika North East Local Government Area of Delta State have called for the immediate removal of herdsmen from their communities following the continuous destruction of farmlands and crops by grazing cattle.
The aggrieved residents from Anikpeku, Idumuobior, Idumuozei, Anieyime, Ilabor, and Ndobu communities took to the streets and market square to register their grievances. During the peaceful protest, they carried placards with inscriptions such as: “Fulani Herdsmen Must Go,” “Say No to Fulani Herdsmen in Igbodo Land,” “We Are Suffering in Igbodo Land,” “Our Farmlands Are in Trouble,” “Leave Our Land,” “Delta State Government Save Us,” “Save Our Farms,” and “No Grazing on Our Farmlands.”
The protesters demanded the immediate exit of herdsmen from Igbodo Kingdom to save their farmlands and prevent imminent famine.
Speaking with journalists, one of the spokespersons, Mr. Chinedu Augustine, said the people of Igbodo had suffered for the past eight years due to the activities of herdsmen, who he alleged had taken over their farmlands. He added that residents now live in fear and no longer sleep peacefully due to persistent threats.
Mr. Augustine revealed that many farmers have abandoned their farmlands for fear of being kidnapped, killed, or r***d. He lamented that the people’s livelihoods depend solely on farming, stressing that Igbodo Kingdom is known as a major agricultural hub.
In his words: “These hoodlums also kidnap our people, and we are forced to pay huge ransoms to secure their release. The most painful part is that these miscreants now enter people’s homes without fear and abduct them. We are calling on the government to rescue our people from these evil doers.”
Another protester, Mr. Daniel Nnabuife, described the continued presence of herdsmen in Igbodo as a direct threat to peace and security and called on relevant authorities to intervene urgently.
According to him: “We are suffering in Igbodo. We are compelled to raise our voices against the rising cases of kidnapping, destruction of farmlands, and insecurity caused by herdsmen. These acts of wickedness are unacceptable. We have endured enough and can no longer stand by while our people are kidnapped, r***d, murdered, and our land terrorized. We call on the three tiers of government to come to our aid.”
Also speaking, Mrs. Ogordinanwa, Mr. Victor Okwudili, Mrs. Onyeisi Enemokwu, and several others expressed fear over going to their farms. They noted that what began as isolated cases of cattle invasion had escalated into a full-blown threat across the kingdom.
One of the traditional chiefs, Chief Ngozi Dichika, the Iyase of Igbodo Kingdom, condemned the herdsmen’s continued incursions into farmlands, where cattle destroy crops painstakingly cultivated by farmers. He expressed concern that the agrarian kingdom, which relies solely on farming, is now helpless.
He appealed to the federal, state, and local governments for urgent intervention to prevent hunger and further loss of lives.
In his words: “We do not want herdsmen in our land. We want our land to be free from these hoodlums.”
By Dumebi Samuel
