DELTA: Villagers recount how herdsmen collect garri, beverages and cigarettes as ransom

The destructive tendencies of herdsmen in the Niger Delta area has once again been brought to the fore after indegenes of Amatebe, an agrarian settlement in Patani Local Government Area of Delta State, complained about how they collect cigarettes, beverages and garri as ransom.

The villagers revealed that the herdsmen also collect money from villagers, especially farmers and fishermen, to allow them access their farms and fish ponds in the area.

Recounting the ordeal of his kinsmen, Meshach Selekowei said that no less than 15 villages have been held hostage by the herdsmen who have also now taken over portions of the community’s forest.

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“Sometime in April, 15 persons from the community, who went fishing on a lake in the hinterland, were held hostage by a gang of herdsmen in the area and they demanded for N10,000 a crate of mineral, four baskets of garri and packets of cigarettes before they would be allowed to work in the area,” Selekowei said.

Continuing, he added that; “The same thing happened two months back when a man went to harvest fish from his lake. The herdsmen accosted him and told him that if he really wants to work in his fish pond, he must pay them N6,000 before he would be permitted to work unhurt.”

Meanwhile, the state Commissioner of Police, Mr. Zanna Ibrahim, said the police are battle ready to counter the marauding herdsmen noting that identified flash-points will be visited one after the other.

“Presently, we have 200 men on ground undergoing local training; the exercises are very important because most of these herdsmen ambush communities and police. So we are engaged in ambush and counter-ambush (anti-terrorism) training so that we will be able to reduce the casualty rate if any,” Ibrahim asserted.

 

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