Residents of Ike-Onicha in Onicha-Ukwuani, Ndokwa West Local Government Area of Delta State, have invoked traditional deities after accusing herdsmen of invading their ancestral lands and preventing farmers from accessing their farmlands.
According to community leaders, armed herders established an unauthorised camp between Ike-Onicha and Ogbagu about four weeks ago, creating fear among residents and disrupting farming activities.
Ogbuiji Augustine Chukwuma, Onochieze and Secretary to the Okpala Uku of Ike-Onicha, said villagers now face severe hardship as many women are afraid to visit their farms for fear of kidnapping, rape, or attack.
“Every day, we wake up hungry and go to bed hungry. Our women cannot go to the farm. The fear of being kidnapped, raped, or killed creeps into their hearts whenever they encounter strange faces in the bush,” he said.
Chukwuma explained that community leaders made several attempts to resolve the situation peacefully, visiting the herders two to three times to ask them to leave. Although they were initially driven out with support from Ogbagu-Ogume, he alleged that they later returned.
After exhausting diplomatic efforts, the community’s elders invoked the deities, describing the move as a traditional response reserved for periods of existential threat. Chukwuma also alleged that the herders had repeatedly destroyed cassava farms, threatening the community’s primary source of livelihood.
He appealed to the government and the public for assistance, warning that families dependent on subsistence farming have been unable to plant or harvest for nearly a month.
The Coordinator of the Delta North Livestock Management Committee, Matthew Ujene, confirmed that the community reported the incident to his office. He said officials investigated the area and discovered that a herder identified as Muhammed had established a cattle camp in the forest.
According to Ujene, repeated efforts to persuade the herder to vacate the area were unsuccessful, prompting officials to dismantle the camp. He said the matter has been referred to the local council chairman, who has scheduled a security meeting for next week.
Ujene maintained that enforcing the state’s ban on open grazing is the most effective way to restore access to farmlands and improve security for residents.
